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June 2021 Issue
This June issue includes a CE article on perioperative nursing care for patients receiving a cochlear implant and a CE article on enhancing time-out compliance to help prevent wrong-site surgery. The Clinical Issues column explores selecting an antiseptic skin preparation agent according to the patient’s skin pigmentation, developing a preoperative bathing protocol, decolonizing health care personnel, and composition of bone cement and precautions for perioperative personnel.
Featured CE Articles
1. Perioperative Nursing Care of the Patient Undergoing a Cochlear Implant Procedure
A cochlear implant is used in the auditory rehabilitation of adult and pediatric patients with sensorineural hearing loss who do not benefit from conventional hearing aids. Preoperative care involves managing the patient and family’s expectations for the procedure and determining the most effective communication techniques for each patient. Postoperative care involves monitoring patients closely and identifying the signs and symptoms of possible postoperative complications, as well as knowing how to prevent these complications and respond to them. This article provides perioperative nurses caring for patients receiving a cochlear implant with detailed information to help ensure that they provide these patients with the most appropriate and effective care.
2. Safety First: Using Performance Improvement to Enhance Time-Out Compliance and Prevent Wrong-Site Surgery
In 2008, the World Health Organization introduced the Surgical Safety Checklist, which includes a pause, or time out, to address important concepts related to surgical patient safety before beginning operative and other invasive procedures. The time out is an integral part of The Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery that is one of The Joint Commission’s 2021 National Patient Safety Goals. However, patients continue to experience wrong-site, wrong-procedure, and wrong-person surgery, which reveals that although organization leaders implement safety protocols, there still are inconsistencies and a lack of adherence to the standard.
Clinical Issues
Clinical Issues—June 2021
This month’s Q&A column addresses the following topics:- Selecting an antiseptic skin preparation agent according to the patient’s skin pigmentation
- Developing a preoperative bathing protocol
- Decolonizing health care personnel
- Composition of bone cement and precautions for perioperative personnel
