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Distractions in the OR
Distractions and interruptions occur frequently in the operating room and procedural suites. They can negatively impact patient safety, care coordination, and efficiency by causing errors and patient harm. Distraction and interruptions in the OR and procedural suites...
Perioperative Nutritional Optimization to Prevent Pressure Injuries
More than 50% of older surgical patients are thought to have malnutrition that is associated with increased postoperative complications, prolonged length of hospitalization and increased health care cost.The surgical patient is at a nutrition and fluid disadvantage...
Understanding Compassion Fatigue in Nursing
Nursing shortages, burnout and compassion fatigue require nurses to practice self-care. Compassion Fatigue can occur with exposure to one case or can be due to a “cumulative” level of trauma. Compassion fatigue develops over time, taking weeks, sometimes years to...
Universal Protocol: Guideline for Perioperative Team Communication
Each year the Joint Commission, with input from practitioners, provider organizations, purchasers, consumer groups, and other stakeholders, determines patient safety issues that are the highest priority and creates National Patient Safety Goals (NPSG). NPSG were...
Tips to Reduce Surgical Site Infections
Surgical site infections (SSI) are multifaceted, meaning that there are many intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to them. Unfortunately, many times it is difficult to track down the source of the infection because of all the factors in play. Is it the...
Improve Patient Outcomes: Keep the Perioperative Patient Warm
Perioperative hypothermia can be associated with significant patient morbidity and mortality, Hart, Bordes, Hart, Corsino, & Harmon (2011) describe a threefold increase in the incidence of morbid cardiac outcomes, increases in surgical blood loss, a 20% increase...
Prevent Fire Risk in the O.R.: Team Communication
Prevent Fire Risk in the O.R.: Team Communication Fire in the O.R. is catastrophic. It usually happens when the team least expects it and the patient being high-risk has usually not been identified. There is no clear data regarding how many fires occur in the O.R....
Preventing OR Specimen Errors
Operating Room Specimen Errors can be devastating as it can affect the patient diagnosis, treatment and outcome. Imagine having the correct diagnosis given to the wrong patient, or a diagnosis that never makes it to the patient because the specimen is lost! How about...
Turnover Times: Reality vs Expectations
Benchmarking efficiency is nothing new to the perioperative team; it is talked about in huddle, in services, and staff meetings. Efficiency in the Operating Room (OR) is measured by time, including start time, end time, turnover time, incision to closure time, block...
Tips for Nurses that Help Say Goodbye to Burnout
In the last blog we talked about compassion fatigue which is the emotional residue or strain of exposure to working with those suffering from the consequences of traumatic events. It differs slightly from burnout but can co-exist. Compassion Fatigue can occur due to...
