AORN's commitment to education does...

AORN's commitment to education does not begin and extreme point with nurses; it extends to everyone within perioperative settings. Included in this commitment is an often-overlook arrange -- visiting sales professionals. Ensuring that sales professionals are educated in OR etiquette is the objective of the sales professional course "Introduction to the Operating Room" proposeed by AORN's Center for Nursing Practice, Health Policy, and Research.

BACKGROUND

The course was unfolded by Mary O'Neale, RN, MN CNOR, perioperative nursing specialist in the Center for Nursing Practice, Health Policy, and Research. She created the course in answer to requests by medical equipment suppliers for a basic OR training course. The first course was taught at AORN Headquarters in May 1993 Since then, 13 courses have been held at Headquarters and off-site.

COURSE FORMAT

"Introduction to the Operating Room" is taught end the use of lectures, videotapes, slides, handouts, assemblage discussions, and practical experience. The morning session is the didactic portion of the course; the afternoon, the clinical. The morning lesson covers

* basic OR protocol,

* OR staff members' characters (eg, surgeons, anesthesia care providers, circulating give suck tos scrub personnel),

* OR do's and don'ts,

* traffic patterns,

* OR attire,

* principles of aseptic technique; and

* the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) bloodborne pathogens standard.

The afternoon's clinical orientation takes place in AORN's state-of-the-art OR Learning Lab or in a local hospital's OR for courses showed off-site. During the clinical session, participants wear surgical rub hard attire to get a hands-on gaze at the items and conceptions discussed during the morning's lecturing Instructors stress appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as behaviors awaited in the OR suite (eg moving around the sterile field and the OR). The AORN instructors address questions in the same state [i]or[/i] condition as, "Where can I stand?" and "What can and can't I touch?"

The clinical session is the greatest in number significant portion of the training because the instructors visually tie together the general [i]or[/i] abstract notions and explanations discussed in the morning deliver a lecture to Participants learn what they can look forward to to experience while in the OR. This OR visit also tenders an ideal opportunity for cluster discussion and clarification of pertinent issues.

SAMPLE COURSE

To illustrate course activities, we will describe a sample course held in May 1995 in Cherry Hills, NJ for sales professionals from Fashion Seal Uniforms, Seminole, Fla, and undivided of its distributors, Harbor Linen Healthcare, Cherry Hills, NJ These sales professionals stand in want ofed to familiarize themselves with the OR environment to better dignify their product line of reusable gown and drapes. Course instructors were Rose Mos RN MN CNOR, and Julie Thompson RN MSN CNOR, perioperative nursing specialists in AORN's Center for Nursing Practice, Health Policy, and Research. The didactic portion of the course was held at the Harbor Linen Healthcare offices and the clinical portion at Kennedy Memorial Hospitals-University Medical Center one as well as the other located in Cherry Hills. This particular course was convoyed over two days due to the large number of participants.

Course objectives. At the completion of the course, participants will be able to

* discuss parts of various OR personnel,

* list three areas in the surgical suite that determine traffic patterns,

* describe appropriate OR attire as identified in the AORN Standards and commended Practices,(1)

* describe for what cause universal precautions are implemented in the OR,

* list the sterile areas in the OR (eg draped back tables, Mayo stands), and

* discuss appropriate motion around the sterile field.

Day the same morning session. The first day of the course consisted of lecturings videotape viewing, and group discussions. The instructors began the morning with a brief overview of AORN's mission and services.

The instructors then explained the titles of various OR personnel and their respective parts They described requests that OR personnel may make of sates professionals and appropriate answers to such requests. For example, OR personnel may ask sales professionals to cohere active and/or dispersive electrodes to electrosurgical units. The AORN instructors discouraged this activity and instructed sales professional participants not to touch the patient or any piece of equipment combineed to the patient.

The instructors emphasized the character of the circulating nurse because he or she usually is the [i]role[/i] with whom sales professionals have the in the greatest degree interaction. An active group discussion about acceptable replys to hypothetical situations followed, and participants reviewed the protocol for making appointments with perioperative nursing directors.

The instructors distributed examples of typical protocols for meetings with perioperative nursing directors and boisterousnessed the need for sales professionals to be prepared, to know their work or service, and to be flexible. In addition, instructors informed participants that facility policies vary and they must learn and abide by way of individual facility policies. For example, a certain quantity of facilities may not allow visitors or sales professionals in the OR suite at any time for any reason; others may require special harmonys from patients, surgeons, and perioperative nursing directors.