2007 News Archive
HHS gives Congress plan to link
Medicare payments to performance
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services late last month gave Congress an outline of a future pay-for-performance plan that would push beyond current incentives for reporting quality-of-service measures and directly link hospitals’ actual performance on quality measures to the payments they receive.
2007 AORN Salary Survey offers hope
periop nurse shortage may be easing
Comparative analyses of responses obtained in AORN’s annual Salary Surveys over the last five years provide glimmerings of hope for perioperative managers that the shortage of qualified nurses may be easing somewhat. The median percentage of vacant full-time nursing positions reported by survey respondents has been on a steady decline, from 5.5% reported in the 2005 survey, to 4.3% last year and only 3.7% in the 2007 survey.
Stories from Perioperative Nurse Week
In communities across the U.S. to battlefields in Iraq, AORN members worldwide took time to recognize Perioperative Nurse Week Nov. 11-17, showing colleagues, members of the public and future nurses how perioperative nurses provide safe patient care.
November 2007
OSHA announces final rule on employer-paid PPE
Employers will be required to provide all personal protective equipment (PPE) at no cost to employees, including healthcare workers, under a final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
CDC to survey for MRSA prevention
Participating hospitals that report infection data to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be surveyed to determine adherence to the agency’s recommended strategies for reducing transmission of multidrug-resistant infections, including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). CDC’s guidelines were issued in October 2006.
Legislative prinicples update
A set of proposed revised legislative principles were discussed in October at grassroots advocacy trainings hosted by AORN's National Legislative Committee as part of AORN state council meetings in Georgia and Washington.
Get healthy—practice wellness in the workplace
Employers increasingly are promoting health and wellness in the workplace and AORN is no exception. AORN's Wellness and Retention Committee is responsible for promoting health, wellness outreach and satisfaction among its Denver Headquarters Staff.
October 2007
AAASC and FASA to merge
AAASC and FASA, the nation's two largest ambulatory surgery center (ASC) associations, will merge to provide a unified voice and improved services to address the growing challenges and opportunities ASCs face, according to an announcement released Oct. 5 by the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (AAASC) and FASA.
What you need to prepare for disaster
Catastrophic disasters, such as Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the 9/11 terrorist attacks have demonstrated the value and the need for healthcare workers to be actively involved in improving communication networks, education and planning for disaster preparedness. AORN is working closely with federal, state and local emergency planners to ensure that perioperative nurses have a seat at the planning table with other healthcare responders and emergency planners.
Top Central Supply organizations merge
On Sept. 18 the American Society for Healthcare Central Service Professionals (ASHCSP) announced its intent to merge with the International Association of Healthcare Central Service Materiel Management (IAHCSMM).
AORN chapter reaches out to colleagues in Iraq
Members of AORN Chapter 1411 of northwest suburban Chicago are sending care packages called “Good Morning Boxes” with “luxuries” like coffee, ice packs and sheets to OR nurses deployed in Iraq. Sending the packages began as a simple way for an AORN chapter to reach out to fellow nurses serving their country abroad. Gradually, shipping off the care packages has evolved into a community project, drawing in local healthcare workers, vendors and concerned citizens who wanted to do their part supporting U.S. troops serving in the war zone.
September 2007
AORN participates in, endorses
National forum on ORs of the future
AORN is participating in the third annual national conference on Adding, Updating and Expanding Operating Rooms of the Future, Oct 18-19 in Philadelphia and Nov. 6-9 in San Francisco. The meetings will be presented as a national forum to focus on the ways hospitals can leverage state-of-the-art OR technology and design innovations for more competitive and advanced surgical services and facilities.
New Guide provides updates, resources
For novice, expert RN First Assistant
From the RNFA Specialty Assembly
Considering the ever-growing number of regulatory, practice and billing changes RNFAs must deal with, an up-to-date guide to practice is an invaluable tool. The good news is that an updated edition of AORN’s RN First Assistant Guide to Practice is slated for release this fall.
As National Fire Safety Month Nears
Surgical Fire Prevention is Spotlighted
October will see many events related to National Fire Safety Month, none more important than the education sessions, evacuation drills and perioperative team training sessions that will be held nationwide in response to growing concern about the risks to patients and perioperative staff from surgical fires.
AORN accepted as Member
Of National Quality Forum
AORN received formal acknowledgement Aug. 23 that its application to join the National Quality Forum (NQF) coalition of healthcare and community leaders has been approved
CMS Issues Final Rules
For Inpatient Payments
Article 3 Copy: Medicare payments to hospitals will increase by an estimated 3.5% for Fiscal Year 2008, under final Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) rules issued by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) early last month.
August 2007
Abbreviations the culprit for 5%
Of medication errors, study says
A review of medication errors reported to the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) MEDMARX program between 2004 and 2006 found that almost 5% of the medication errors were attributable to the use of abbreviations that resulted in miscommunication.
CMS Issues Final Rule on ASC Payments
The fast-growing ambulatory surgery center (ASC) industry bemoaned last month’s decision by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reimburse ASCs for surgical procedures at a rate that’s likely to be only 65% of the corresponding reimbursement rates for hospital outpatient service rates.Hospital, Science Center Use Live Video
To Educate About Surgical Professions
To shed light on the surgical process and inspire the next generation of healthcare workers, orthopedic and cardiothoracic surgical teams in Columbus, Ohio, are joining with educators from the city’s Center of Science and Industry (COSI) to produce live video presentations of surgeries for school children and community groups.
Apply Now for Scholarship to attend
2008 Nurse in Washington Program
Scholarship applications are being accepted from members who would like to represent AORN in the 2008 Nurse in Washington Internship (NIWI) program in Washington, D.C., next March 9-11 (tentative)*.
FDA Updates guidance on
Radio Frequency Identification
The FDA has updated its guidance on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), a tool for identifying and tracking items or people. In an RFID system, a small memory-storage chip (tag) is placed on an item. RFID readers (emitters) send out radio waves to detect tags and read their data.
Of caring promote health and healing
From the Integrated Health Practices Specialty Assembly
Concepts of self-care—nursing that aims to help patients marshal their own healing potential—and alternative therapies that can promote self-healing efforts were much-discussed topics as members of AORN’s Integrated Health Practices Specialty Assembly (SA) gathered in Lake Tahoe, Calif., June 6-10 to share holistic nursing and integrated health practices during the American Holistic Nurses Association (AHNA) annual conference.
July 2007
OSHA Alliance Provides New Resources for Safety
Since signing an agreement with OSHA last December to foster safer, healthier perioperative workplaces, AORN has created an OSHA alliance Web page to share information and facilitate open lines of contact between AORN members and OSHA.
CDC Issues Updated Isolation Guideline
In the first major revision to its isolation guideline, CDC recommends greater administrative support to maintain nurse staffing and adherence to infection-control programs, as well as expanded recommendations on Standard Precautions, with added emphasis on respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette and safe injection practices.
CMS Modifies Facility Criteria for VAD implantation
CMS has modified the facility criteria required for CMS approval to perform ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation as destination therapy.
From the Military/Government Nurses Specialty Assembly
AORN members working withing the government healthcare system that serves the military provide a continuum of care, with specialized processes to treat the unique injuries incurred on the battlefield.
June 2007
AORN Endorses Upcoming Conferences
AORN is endorsing several upcoming conferences, including Patient Safety IT Summit, Adding, Updating and Expanding Comprehensive Stroke Centers offered by Active Communications International, Inc. and a conference on Strategies for Transplantation Safety and Quality offered by The Joint Commission.
AORN Partners with Duke University on Surgical Smoke Survey
AORN and researchers at Duke University Medical Center are partnering in a project to determine how AORN members and their facilities currently protect staff against the dangers of surgical smoke.
CMS Issues Final Rule for Organ Transplant Centers
CMS has issued a final rule that establishes, for the first time, Medicare Conditions of Participation (CoPs) for heart, heart-lung, intestine, kidney, liver, lung and pancreas transplant centers.