'Coming clean' in the SPD requires collaboration and competency—Part 1
Contaminated surgical instruments made ECRI Institute’s 2019 annual top 10 list of health technology hazards, coming in at number five: “Mishandling flexible endoscopes after disinfection can lead to patient infections.” Number two on the list in 2018 was “Endoscope reprocessing failures continue to expose patients to infection risk.” It’s not…
Prioritizing patient safety unites and empowers OR team—Part 1
Communication breakdowns in the perioperative environment are a factor in 70% of events that adversely affect patients. Sometimes those breakdowns occur because OR staff are reluctant to voice their concerns in an environment that is hierarchical and intimidating. However, when an organization adopts patient safety first (PSF) initiatives, adverse outcomes…
Study: Bachelor’s degree nurses better prepared than associate degree nurses
Editor's Note In this study, nurses with bachelor’s degrees were found to be significantly better prepared than nurses with associate degrees in 5 of 16 test topics between 2007 and 2008, and in 12 of 16 topics between 2014 and 2015. Researchers tested the quality and safety educational preparedness differences…
Creating standardized process for training new surgeons in robotic surgery
Editor's Note Automated performance metrics can distinguish surgeon expertise during anastomoses and create an objective, standardized way to train new surgeons, this study finds. Researchers used a data recorder plugged into a robotic surgery system to evaluate expert and novice surgeons’ movements for 70 vesicourethral anastomoses (total of 1,745 stitches)…
Effect of Foley catheter placement by medical students on postop CAUTIs
Editor's Note Patients who have Foley catheters placed by medical students in the OR are at increased risk of postoperative catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs), this study finds. This analysis included 891 patients who had Foley catheters placed in the OR by surgical residents (547 patients), OR nurses (227), or…
Three key competencies forecast success for OR leaders
Employee engagement is a buzzword that often crops up in articles, webinars, and conferences. OR leaders may be tired of seeing it, but engagement is crucial for success in an environment of fast-paced change, leadership turnover, and increasing demands for better performance. In healthcare, research has linked engagement with greater…
Study identifies gaps in infection prevention practices at critical access hospitals
Editor's Note Small, rural critical access hospitals have significant gaps in their infection prevention practices, finds this new study presented June 13 at the Annual Conference of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology in Minneapolis. In 36 Nebraska hospitals analyzed, researchers found important gaps in all domains,…
New OR nurses excel as champions and preceptors
Tapping incoming or newly graduated OR nurses as champions and preceptors for initiatives works quite well, say some OR leaders. Though less experienced than their peers, these nurses bring to the table up-to-date knowledge, energy, a fresh set of eyes, and comfort with new technology. In turn, making them experts…
Just culture creates a safe, positive environment
Just culture has become a bit of a buzzword, so it’s worth revisiting what the term truly means and how it can be implemented and sustained. Although it’s a powerful tool for improving patient safety, just culture is effective only when leaders set expectations for processes and behavior, and address…
Peer review inspires high performance from providers
Peer review is a hot topic in the quality arena as many ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) strive to create meaningful and sustainable evaluation of their providers. “As a surveyor, I can tell you peer review trips everybody up,” says Ann Geier, MS, RN, CNOR, CASC, chief nursing officer of Surgical…
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