AORN Journal CE Articles

This January issue includes a CE article on retinoblastoma, a rare malignancy of the eye affecting children, and enucleation (ie, removal of the eye) and discusses the care and management of the unique patient population undergoing this procedure. It also includes a CE article on medication safety recommendations related to submitting medication orders, transferring medications to the sterile field, using standardized labeling, and more. The Clinical Issues column explores use of indicator glove systems, sharps injury protocols and reporting, and sterile item storage.

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Retinoblastoma is a rare malignancy of the eye affecting children, most commonly four years old and younger. Although chemotherapy and radiation treatment aim to spare the eye, in some cases, enucleation (ie, removal of the eye) is required to prevent cancer metastases or recurrence. Enucleation procedures are primarily performed at specialty institutions and may involve the surgical placement of an implant in the orbit of the eye. Unique perioperative considerations are required because of the age of the child at the time of the diagnosis and procedure and the involvement of a parent or caregiver who will be caring for the child postoperatively.

A variety of medication errors occur in the perioperative setting and can negatively affect patients and personnel. Perioperative nurses should review regulatory information and professional organization guidance documents when they work with other health care team members to address medication safety issues. Some recommendations include submitting clear medication orders, using aseptic technique when transferring medications to the sterile field, and using standardized labeling. In addition, perioperative nurses should obtain only one patient’s medications from a dispensing unit at a time and prepare one medication at a time.

This month’s Q&A column addresses the following topics:

• Use of indicator glove systems
• Sharps injury protocols
• Sharps injury reporting
• Sterile item storage
• and Combining storage of sterile and unsterile supplies.