Healthcare Traveler - March 2009 - (Page 16)

N E W S T R AV E L E R S C A N U S E In A Flash ORs implement safe surgery checklist In Brief Sentosa nurse criminal case dismissed The American Nurses Association and New York State Nurses Association issued a statement supporting the dismissal of criminal charges filed against 10 registered nurses from the Philippines in March 2007 for patient endangerment. “This is a victory for all registered nurses because the judge recognized that withdrawal from a deplorable work environment, when done responsibly, as in this case, reflects ethical nursing practice,” says ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR. “These brave nurses have deserved the nursing community’s full support because they refused to remain in a situation where patients were being denied the kind of care and staffing they deserved.” T he Association of periOperative Registered Nurses and the World Health Organization (WHO) are challenging all hospitals to test a simple surgical checklist at least one time in at least one operating room (OR) by April 1, 2009. Part of the “Safe Surgery Saves Lives” initiative, this checklist potentially reduces by onethird surgery-related morbidity and mortality. Applicable to any facility’s operation, the surgical operating room standards cover three phases of surgical intervention: prior to anesthesia, before skin incision, and before the patient leaves the OR. A study of eight hospitals in each of the WHO’s six global regions determined that major surgery-related complications dropped from 11% before checklist implementation to 7% after it was introduced—and inpatient deaths were reduced 40% with checklist implementation. Conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health, the study was published in the January 14, 2009, New England Journal of Medicine online report. “The immediate response to the checklist has been remarkable, and the studies undertaken in the pilot hospitals are significant,” says Sir Liam Donaldson, chair of the WHO World Alliance for Patient Safety, and chief medical officer for England. “They will make a major contribution towards our goal of having 2,500 hospitals around the world using the safe surgery checklist by the end of this year.” As a traveling nurse, you can encourage your assignment facility to test the checklist, and work with your OR managers to implement surgical operating room standards. Visit http://www.ihi. org/IHI/Programs/ImprovementMap/ WHOSurgicalSafetyChecklistSprint.htm for updates, stories, and tips from other hospitals, as well as links to online tools and resources, including a starter kit, discussion forums, and instructional webinars. By testing the checklist at your assignment facilities, you can expand your skill set and show your commitment to the highest quality of patient care—on current and future contracts. Did You Know… The hospitality market’s Top 8 On Demand movie sales for 2008 were: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. I Am Legend American Gangster 27 Dresses National Treasure: Book of Secrets Charlie Wilson’s War What Happens in Vegas Indiana Jones: Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Wanted Gear & Gadgets » SILENT CALL® DOOR/WINDOW ACCESS TRANSMITTER » TURBOBAG 16 C L E V E R TO O L S T H AT SI M P L I F Y T H E T R AV E L L I F E S T Y L E With the battery-operated Door/Window Access Transmitter, two magnetic bars lose contact when a door or window is opened, and the transmitter ($69.25) sends a signal to a receiver (from $109.95). www.silentcall.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=16. This innovative new laptop bag’s discrete departments and scannerfriendly materials allow Transportation Safety Administration officials at airport security checkpoints to scan it without you removing your computer. It costs less than $40 at www.turbobag.com. Healthcare Traveler March 2009 Source: PRNewswire. (2009, January 22). LodgeNet Interactive announces top On Demand movie sales for 2008. Retrieved January 26, 2009, from http://media.prnewswire.com. www.healthcaretraveler.com http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/ImprovementMap/WHOSurgicalSafetyChecklistSprint.htm http://www.ihi.org/IHI/Programs/ImprovementMap/WHOSurgicalSafetyChecklistSprint.htm http://www.silentcall.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=16 http://media.prnewswire.com http://www.turbobag.com http://www.healthcaretraveler.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare Traveler - March 2009

Healthcare Traveler - March 2009 Editor’s Desk Contents Paws for Thought Field Notes Company Corner In a Flash Rural ORs Balancing Act Clinical Highlights Drug Update On Assignment Cityscape Name It Tax Facts Big Deals Advertisers’ Index Going the Distance Contest Rules Allied Corner Classifieds Tales from the Road

Healthcare Traveler - March 2009

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