Jean M. Reeder

Latex Sensitivity Among Perioperative Nurses

To estimate the prevalence, risk factors, and clinical spectrum of adverse reactions to natural rubber latex-containing products among a national sample of perioperative nurses, the investigators administered a self-reporting questionnaire to a convenience sample of 2,200 members of the Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc. Of the 1,738 nurses who responded, 369 (21%) reported latex reactions. Multivariate analysis identified a history of allergies to cosmetic powders, other allergies, chronic illnesses, and regular use of latex gloves as independent risk factors for reactions to latex-containing products. Localized reactions, such as contact dermatitis, were the reactions reported most commonly, although severe systemic reactions also were described.

Do-not-resuscitate orders in the operating room

Surgery offers patients the chance to improve the quality and longevity of their lives, but surgery and anesthesia are not without risks. Patients should have the opportunity to make informed choices about the risks they take with respect to their health care. Perioperative nurses must be knowledgeable about advance directives and the implications they have for surgical care, and they must support patient autonomy by respecting the choices and decisions patients make about their care.

Intraoperative nursing activities: How do they compare with basic competencies

: This study was done to describe the behaviors, activities, and cognitive functions of the registered nurse during the intraoperative phase of surgery and to categorize and compare the observed activities with AORNs Statements of basic competency for perioperative nursing. Fifteen randomly selected operating room nurses were observed for more than 210 hours during the intraoperative phase of surgery. Observations were recorded as observed activities and quotations. They were categorized by the coded Statements of basic competency for perioperative nursing. Further categorization was done to determine which basic competencies reflected nursing behaviors, activities, and cognitive functions. Additional data were collected using interviews and questionnaires. This study provided empirical evidence that a small sample of operating room nurses demonstrated most of the basic competencies. It also described the nursing behaviors, activities, and cognitive functions observed during the intraoperative phase of surgery.

Adult scoliosis: A personal experience

My thoughts were far from the road as I drove away from my appointment with an orthopedic surgeon. He had recommended a posterior spinal fusion to correct my scoliosis. I was confronted with the reality that my busy organized life as a wife and military nurse would be disrupted. Roles would be reversed. I would soon be a patient facing a major surgical procedure and lengthy recovery. I anticipated this experience with much anxiety. It offered, however, the potential for personal and professional growth. I focused on this as a coping mechanism and as a means to channel my increasing anxiety. As a result of my firsthand surgical experience, I was to find my perceptions about nursing care altered and my commitment to caring strengthened.