Editor's Note Authentic leadership was the Healthy Work Environment (HWE) standard that most significantly correlated with nurse burnout and was the strongest predictor of compassion fatigue and secondary traumatic stress in this study. Nurses in four adult critical care units of a single facility were surveyed on the relationship between…

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Editor's Note The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on February 27 updated its guidance for healthcare professionals evaluating and reporting patients under investigation for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The CDC has developed clinical criteria to guide patient evaluation based on what is known about Middle East Respiratory Syndrome…

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Editor's Note An automated drying and storage cabinet with forced filtered air is advantageous for rapid drying of endoscope internal and external surfaces and reducing the risk of microbial growth after reprocessing, this study finds. Using the automated drying cabinet, internal channels of all bronchoscopes, colonoscopes, and duodenoscopes studied were…

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Editor's Note This study by William A. Rutala, PhD, MPH, and colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which compared three low-temperature sterilization technologies to steam sterilization of simulated inadequately precleaned surgical tools, found steam sterilization to be the most effective and with the largest margin of…

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Editor's Note In a February 25 telebriefing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) will spread in the US, and hospitals and communities should begin ramping up their preparedness efforts, AHA Today reports. The CDC urged communities to implement non-pharmaceutical interventions or community…

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Editor's Note In this review article, Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH, and associates highlight the reasons endoscope reprocessing is often ineffective and microbes frequently remain on endoscopes after high-level disinfection. Among the reasons: non-adherence to guidelines use of damaged endoscopes use of insoluble products during endoscopy insufficient cleaning contaminated rinse water…

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Controlling electrosurgical smoke is a major challenge in many ORs. In 1996, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health published a policy on controlling smoke from lasers and electrosurgical procedures, and over the years, studies have linked adverse health effects with electrosurgical smoke exposure. Yet healthcare providers have differing…

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High rates of burnout among healthcare providers—between 35% and 54% of US nurses and physicians, and between 45% and 60% of medical students and residents—have raised concerns about patient and provider safety. Burnout, a psychological syndrome featuring emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a reduced sense of personal accomplishment, is increasingly prevalent…

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Technology acquisitions require OR leaders to weigh the competing demands of stakeholders—including physicians, nursing staff, the finance department, and patients—and to make sure they address those demands when justifying a new purchase. “New technology can be what’s needed to keep competitive in the current environment,” says Beth Bozzelli, MBA, RN,…

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In October 2019, AORN released its updated Guideline for Sterilization Packaging, which is based on evidence from peer-reviewed literature. This article includes recommendations from that guideline and addresses common misconceptions about sterilization packaging. Other resources for proper use of sterilization packaging include the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation…

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