AORN OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

Dear Members:
I have been trying to catch up on all the information that AORN sends us. Between the e-mails, newsletters and the journal, I find it is very difficult to keep on top of it all! On the other hand, I do it because there is so much valuable and worthwhile information to keep up with.

I particularly like the online contact hours (CH) that are free at the AORN web site www.aorn.org. Click on the free education link under member resources for a complete list. There is one on patient safety in the OR for 1.5 CH: Infectious Disease sessions for 5.8 CH: and Safe Medication Administration Tool Kit for 4.8 CH. I encourage you to take the time and enjoy this information for your professional growth.

Another magazine that I have subscribed to is 'Advance for Nurses’, a free magazine serving RN's in New England . It contains inexpensive CH also. Go to their web site www.advanceweb.com to subscribe. It is well worth the effort.

And finally, I'd like to remind you that April is poetry month. One of my favorite poetesses is Emily Dickinson and here is one that I enjoy.....

Surgeons must be very careful

When they take the knife!

Underneath their fine incisions

Stirs the culprit, - Life!

Respectfully,

Eva

Complications, Errors and Communication in the OR

May 6,2006 at the VA Medical Center , White River Junction VT
$10 per person at the door
3.3 Contact Hours
Registration begins at 8:30am, program 9am-noon.
Refreshments will be provided
Chapter business meeting begins at noon.

PATIENT CARE ISSUES: POSITIONING AND SPIRITUALITY

On Saturday March 4^th we had the opportunity to listen to two presentations, plus attend a demonstration, on patient care, given at Valley Regional Hospital in Claremont NH . Cathleen Samson RN introduced Marie Mailloux RN. Her talk “Safety Considerations for Positioning the Patient Intraoperatively” was informative and comprehensive. We then moved to another area in the hospital for a demonstration by Larry Welch of proper stirrup setup. Karen Scalla RN gave a wonderful PowerPoint presentation on her work at DHMC involving spirituality. She went on to discuss how she does a spirituality assessment and its 5 dimensions.

There were 17 participants.

Many thanks to Cathleen Samson for organizing this event, as well as to speakers Marie Mailloux, Karen Skalla, and the sales rep for “yellow fin” stirrups, Larry Welch.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CHAPTER BUSINESS MEETING 3/4/06

v 9 members were present

v Sweet Feet are likely to be introduced into the Pink Smock Shop at DHMC; Eva Daniels continues to work on this effort.

v The treasurer’s report indicated we collected $170 today in fees for the conference. Delegates were each given a check for $300 to attend Congress.

v The Web page of our chapter http://www.aornnh.com/meetings.html has been updated by Lorraine Heslop. Directions to hospitals are available.

v The AORN Foundation gave a grant of $445 to Lisa Ryder to attend AORN Congress.

v Lorraine Heslop is working on a project to reduce the potential of medication errors in surgery. She has presented her ideas to AORN. Concord Hospital is utilizing her idea for Ophthalmology surgery patients.

v We continue to work on reaching out to our chapter members by email; the February newsletter was only snail mailed to 22 members, thus realizing a significant cost savings for the chapter.

v Willingness to serve forms have been distributed for the 4 chapter offices to be vacated in June. A ballot will be prepared and sent out in April.

v David Smith (husband of Pauline Smith) was the lucky winner of the 50/50 drawing. He collected $21.50 but graciously donated it back to the chapter. Thank you David!

Every day we document the surgical wound classification in patient care records. Let’s review those classifications:

CLEAN WOUNDS: An uninfected operative wound in which no inflammation is encountered and the respiratory, alimentary, genital, or uninfected urinary tracts are not entered. In addition, clean wounds are primarily closed and, if necessary, drained with closed drainage. Operative incisional wounds that follow nonpenetrating (blunt) trauma should be included in this category if they meet the criteria.

CLEAN-CONTAMINATED WOUNDS: Operative wounds in which the respiratory, alimentary, genital, or urinary tracts are entered under controlled conditions and without unusual contamination. Specifically, operations involving the biliary tract, appendix, vagina, and oropharynx are included in this category provided no evidence of infection or major break in technique is encountered.

CONTAMINATED WOUNDS: Includes open, fresh, accidental wounds. In addition, operations with major breaks in sterile technique (e.g. open cardiac massage) or gross spillage from the gastrointestinal tract, and incisions in which acute, nonpurulent inflammation is encountered are included in this category.

DIRTY or INFECTED WOUNDS: Includes old traumatic wounds with retained or devitalized tissue and those that involve existing clinical infection or perforated viscera. This definition suggests that the organism causing postoperative infection were present in the operative field before the operation.

(See www.qi.org.tw/ for more information)

MEETINGS AND EVENTS

April 29, 2006: ZapFacts in-service, 7am-noon, at Littleton Hospital , sponsored by AORN chapter 3005 and Valleylab. $10 at the door, 4.5 contact hours. (This offering has been cancelled as of April 27, 2006)
April 20-June 13 2006: Vote for new chapter officers
June 13, 2006: Potluck picnic at North Hartland Lake, Hartland VT.
September 15-17, 2006: Biennial Perioperative Nursing Conference--” Trends & Teamwork: Our Perioperative Future” at DHMC in Lebanon NH .

APRIL IS NATIONAL DONATE LIFE MONTH

Over 90,000 people in the US are waiting for organ and tissue transplants. Anyone can become a potential organ or tissue donor. Age or history of disease does not automatically mean you cannot donate; each potential donor is evaluated at the time of his/her death. For more info: www.shareyourlife.org

2006 AORN 53rd CONGRESS

March 19-23, 2006 Washington, DC

The AORN Congress was held in Washington DC last month. Delegates for the chapter included Linda Thompson (chair of the delegation), Monte Murphy, and Lisa Ryder. Phyllis Barrell also attended as an alternate. There were quite a few other members of the chapter who attended Congress too, including Roanne Rogerson and Sherry Merrick.

The theme of this year’s congress was Diversity: Patient, Practitioner, Practice.

Congress is such a huge event that it is difficult to describe all facets of this convention. Speakers included such well know figures as the Surgeon General Vice Admiral Richard H Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, and Newt Gingrich. Topics for classes ranged from flash sterilization, C-spine injuries, orientation of new employees, grassroots organization, Perioperative management of the bariatric patient , creative leadership and SCIP, just to name a few.

There were over 6000 nurses and over 6000 vendors. The market was endless, with displays of everything you would ever need for surgery, including instruments, OR tables, sterilizers, lights, headlights, drapes, computer software systems for Perioperative charting and inventory control, stretchers, warming cabinets, shoes, scrubs and more. Many hospitals had recruiting booths, just hoping you would be interested in a change of workplace.

Washington DC itself was a remarkable place full of history to be explored.

AORN Congress is a must for every Perioperative nurse at least once in his/her lifetime. Next year’s Congress will be in Orlando FL on March 13-17 2007 …plan to be there!

APRIL 2006 CHAPTER MEMBERSHIP

Member Type	Count
Standard Member	89
Retired Member	3
Associate Member	1
Facility Member - 1 Year	1

Total Members	94

CHAPTER 3001 VOTING BEGINS SOON. CHECK YOUR E-MAIL FOR YOUR BALLOT AND RESPOND BY JUNE 13 2006. PLEASE VOTE!