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Pressure Injuries: Protect your Patients in Extreme Surgical Positions
Some surgical procedures require extreme positioning to ensure that the targeted surgical area is accessible to the surgeon and the surgical team. Extreme positioning requires extreme positioning devices, manufactured to meet the need for surgical access....
Safe Lateral Position for Improved Team and Patient Outcomes
The lateral surgical position is one of the most labor-intensive surgical positions that depends on brute force and team strength. The lateral position is not only physically taxing on the staff, but also can be as hard on the patient; therefore, it is important to...
Protect the Heels with Evidence-Based Interventions
Mitigate the risk for pressure injuries The supine position is the most common surgical position with the patient lying on their back with the head, neck and spine in a neutral position. This position is not without pressure injury risk as there is increased pressure...
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...
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...
