Periop Talk Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)

Clear Communication for Better Care: A Guide to Team Dynamics in the ORFor perioperative nurses, effective teamwork is crucial for patient safety. Building a Culture of SafetyA strong foundation for good communication is a culture of safety. This means every team member feels empowered to speak up about concerns and errors without fear of blame. Here's how to foster this culture:Open Communication: Encourage honest and respectful communication.Error Reporting: Make it safe to report erro...

Still in crisis mode from the pandemic and its aftermath, many nurses are feeling tired and somewhat disgruntled, and may be looking for greener pastures.However, the journey toward “greener grass” can begin without hopping the fence, suggests Jill Graham, BSN, RN.As a surgical services co-educator (and her team’s unofficial counselor and mediator), Graham made it her mission to foster a less toxic culture in nursing, starting with her own practice.She realized that “culture healing will not ...

In this episode of Periop Talk AORN gives a sneak preview into the new High-Level Disinfection Guideline and how these key changes will impact your daily practice. Perioperative nurses play a vital role in the disinfection process:Enhanced communication: Ensuring seamless handoff of devices to decontamination with details about pre-treatment and device condition.Verification before disinfection: Introducing a crucial step - cleaning verification testing with magnification and the use of bores...

The opportunity to start fresh in a different department is a gift. Once you are there, take advantage of everything and everyone. Staff are designated to help teach you the art and science of their practice, so be physically, mentally, and emotionally present to absorb every bit of it. Understand that there are many ways to accomplish the same task and be open to a new way. Keep the best of what you learn and add it to your toolbox. Start to build your own practice with the help of others. R...

This updated Guideline for Safe Environment of Care provides new and revised recommendations on developing fire safety plans, performing fire risk assessments, fire safety training, establishing latex safety programs and chemical safety plans, among others. The purpose of this guideline is to maintain a safe environment of care for perioperative patients and personnel and prevent injuries or harm by mitigating the risks associated with all the topics covered within this guideline. This episod...

At the foundation of any clinical relationship is trust: trust between clinicians and patients, trust among the interprofessional team members, and trust between a new hire and the preceptor. Building a trusting relationship between the new hire and preceptor takes time, but there are some things that a preceptor can do to develop the trusting relationship.Be Explicit About ExpectationsExpectations within nursing practice are often divided into two buckets: the written competency-based activi...