Results of the 2017 AORN Salary and Compensation Survey
Publication date: December 2017 Source:AORN Journal, Volume 106, Issue 6 Author(s): Donald R. Bacon, Kim A. Stewart AORN conducted its 15th annual compensation survey for perioperative nurses in June 2017. A multiple regression model was used to examine how several variables, including job title, educational level, certification, experience, and geographic region, affect nurse compensation. Comparisons between the 2017 data and data from previous years are presented. The effects of other forms of compensation (eg, on-call compensation, overtime, bonuses, shift differentials, benefits) on base compensation rates are ex...
Source: AORN Journal - December 6, 2017 Category: Nursing Source Type: research
Partnering With Perioperative Colleagues to Prevent Infection
Publication date: December 2017 Source:AORN Journal, Volume 106, Issue 6 Author(s): Dolores D. Suslak (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - December 6, 2017 Category: Nursing Source Type: research
Embrace Action: Use Holidays to Strengthen Social Bonds
Publication date: December 2017 Source:AORN Journal, Volume 106, Issue 6 Author(s): Nathalie Walker (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - December 6, 2017 Category: Nursing Source Type: research
Falling Through the Crack (in the Bedrails)
A 65-year-old woman with cirrhosis presented to the hospital with septic shock and respiratory failure. Hospital staff members placed her on a mechanical ventilator, admitted her to the intensive care unit, and inserted a nasogastric tube to administer medications. The patient was disoriented, so the medical team administered a sedative and placed restraints on her wrists to prevent her from pulling out lines or tubes. She had ascites, so the medical team decided to perform paracentesis to rule out infection. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Tags: Column Source Type: research
Educational Opportunities
Registration now open! Learn about the latest research, best practices, and innovative ideas coming out of the surgical suite at AORN ’s annual educational conference. This premier event offers a robust program with expert speakers, hands-on training, and hundreds of contact hours. Learning will extend beyond the classroom to the exhibit hall, which will have the latest perioperative trends, surgical products, and technologies. Plus, hear from poster presenters about breakthrough ideas, actions, and evidence-based research affecting perioperative nursing. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Tags: Column Source Type: research
Results of the 2017 AORN Salary and Compensation Survey
AORN conducted its 15th annual compensation survey for perioperative nurses in June 2017. A multiple regression model was used to examine how several variables, including job title, educational level, certification, experience, and geographic region, affect nurse compensation. Comparisons between the 2017 data and data from previous years are presented. The effects of other forms of comp ensation (eg, on-call compensation, overtime, bonuses, shift differentials, benefits) on base compensation rates are examined. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Donald R. Bacon, Kim A. Stewart Tags: Special report Source Type: research
Operation Clean Air: Implementing a Surgical Smoke Evacuation Program
Surgical smoke is a hazardous byproduct of any surgery involving a laser or an electrosurgical unit. Although research and professional organizations identified surgical smoke as harmful many years ago, this byproduct continues to be a safety hazard in the OR. An interdisciplinary team at a large academic medical center sought to address the exposure of patients and perioperative team members to surgical smoke. The team used the nursing process to resolve the lack of smoke-evacuator equipment and surgical smoke staff member knowledge. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Mary K. Dobbie, Maria Fezza, Martha Kent, Jane Lu, Mark L. Saraceni, Susan Titone Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Minimizing Sources of Airborne, Aerosolized, and Contact Contaminants in the OR Environment
Surgical site infections are unintended consequences of surgery that can cause harm to patients and place financial burdens on health care organizations. Extrinsic factors in the OR —including health care providers’ behavior and practices that modify air movement, the physical environment, equipment, or surgical instruments—can increase microbial contamination. Microbes can be transported into the surgical incision by airborne or contact routes and contribute to a surgic al site infection. Simple practices to prevent infection—such as minimizing airborne particles and contaminants, maintaining equipment according ...
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Donna Armellino Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Navigating Nursing Education
This article explores the various forms of nursing education and focuses on the types of degrees available, different practice roles and pathways, types of educational institutions and programs, and accreditation and its governing bodies. The benefits to nurses who pursue additional education include career mobility, additional responsibilities, and personal satisfaction. The benefits to patients include receiving the most current evidence-based care from a more highly educated and competent workforce. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Rodney W. Hicks, Robert Patterson Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Evaluation of a Brief Team Training Intervention in Surgery: A Mixed-Methods Study
The aim of this study was to evaluate a brief team training program in relation to teams ’ observed nontechnical skills (NTSs) in surgery, teams’ perceptions of safety culture, and the training implementation. We used mixed methods to analyze structured observations of 179 surgeries, semistructured interviews with surgical team members from four selected surgical specialties, and a survey. There were significant (P (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Brigid M. Gillespie, Catherine Steel, Evelyn Kang, Emma Harbeck, Kristina Nikolic, Nicole Fairweather, Wendy Chaboyer Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Health Care Workers ’ Use and Cleaning of X-Ray Aprons and Thyroid Shields
We evaluated the use and cleaning of x-ray aprons and thyroid shields by surveying rural hospital system health care workers who wear x-ray aprons and thyroid shields. One hundred fifty-five of the 173 respondents were RNs (89.6%), and 94 respondents were from inpatient or outpatient surgical settings (54.3%). One hundred thirty-five respondents (78.0%) reported soiled x-ray aprons or thyroid shields, and 52 (30.1%) reported shield odors. Eighty-three participants (48.0%) indicated they never spot cleaned. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Hope Honigsberg, Karen Gabel Speroni, Anna Fishback, Amy Stafford Tags: Featured article Source Type: research
Clinical Ethics: Patient and Provider Safety
Florence Nightingale said, “It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm,”1 but perioperative nursing practice is indeed grounded in the ethical principles of beneficence and nonmaleficence. The AORN Perioperative Explications for the ANA Code of Ethics for Nurses2 and Guidelines for Perioperative Practice3 define the moral obligations inherent in the practice of perioperative nursing to promote patient and provider safety. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Cecil A. King Tags: Column Source Type: research
Clinical Issues —December 2017
Bed bugsKey words: bed bugs, pest management, infestation, transmission.Warming irrigation fluidsKey words: irrigation fluid, warming fluid, hypothermia, warming cabinet.Fasting before surgeryKey words: fasting, NPO, liquids, solids.Advanced cardiac life support requirements for perioperative nursesKey words: advanced cardiac life support, ACLS certification, pediatric advanced life support, PALS certification, basic life support. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Mary J. Ogg Tags: Column Source Type: research
Evidence appraisal of Erestam S, Haglind E, Bock D, Andersson AE, Angenete E. Changes in safety climate and teamwork in the operating room after implementation of a revised WHO checklist: a prospective interventional study.
Editor ’s note: Reading research and incorporating valid research results into practice is a vital part of ensuring that perioperative nursing practice is evidence based. The AORN Research Evidence Appraisal Tools can help perioperative nurses evaluate research. There are three tools for evaluation of th e different types of evidence: the Research Evidence Appraisal Tool–Study, the Research Evidence Appraisal Tool–Summary, and the Non-Research Evidence Appraisal Tool. These tools are used to evaluate the evidence upon which AORN’s guidelines are based. (Source: AORN Journal)
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Nancy Girard Tags: Column Source Type: research
Embrace Action: Use Holidays to Strengthen Social Bonds
At this time of the year, our thoughts turn to the holidays. It is during these special days that we can strengthen our social bonds. These bonds represent the degree to which we assimilate into the society to which we belong. Travis Hirschi identified four bonds that promote conformity and socialization: attachment, belief, involvement, and commitment.1 His premise is that the stronger those bonds are, the less likely it is that delinquent behaviors will develop. A variety of holidays are recognized in December around the world (Sidebar 1) and present a wonderful opportunity for us to connect or bond with people in our co...
Source: AORN Journal - November 22, 2017 Category: Nursing Authors: Nathalie Walker Tags: Column Source Type: research
