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From the Editor
The holidays are almost upon us and we're in a gift-giving frame of mind. Here's the bouquet we sent to the AORN office last week in celebration  of Perioperative Nurses Week last week.
Speaking of presents, I have a question for you: What is one item that you use in your work life (not necessarily in the OR) that would make a great gift for another OR nurse? What's that one cool thing that makes a big difference in your day (or something you don't own but would love to receive as a gift yourself?) Brand names OK to mention.
Please help us out by dropping me a quick line with your answer. We'll feature the results next month. Who knows, somebody else's answer may help you with your last-minute shopping.Thanks!
Julie Lancaster, Editor |
 | News: Obesity in the OR - Wrongful Death Lawsuit Follows Patient's Fall from Table
| Michelle Obama is making it a personal goal to address the challenge of obesity in the country. Unfortunately, obesity also creates challenges in the OR. See this article on Minneapolis-St. Paul's Kare11.com about a Saint Paul, MN, hospital that was sued following the death of a 330-lb. patient under anesthesia who died after falling off the operating room table just before his surgery was to commence.
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| Graduate in the Spotlight
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 Name: Beth Goodheart
Credentials: RN, BSN, CNOR
Student Status: Graduated from NIFA's RNFA program August 2010
City and State: Lake Hopatcong, NJ
Current Job: Works as a per diem staff RN and RNFA, Saint Clare's Health System
Path to Becoming an RNFA: I had worked as a massage therapist for almost a year when I decided to go back to school and become a nurse. Massage therapy was not rewarding enough for me. I went to County College of Morris in Randolph, NJ, first for my Associate's, then got my BSN at The College of Saint Elizabeth, then went through the NIFA program to become an RNFA, and I am currently enrolled in an MSN program at Drexel University.
I started out in the operating room as a secretary knowing that one day I would be an OR nurse, but it wasn't until I started assisting that I felt like this was where I belonged. It feels satisfying to be participating directly in the patient's care, and it also feels very natural. When I closed the skin of my first patient, I realized this is what I was truly meant to do.
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| Meet Milo
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 Meet Milo, Emily Haas' new baby. Emily managed our NIFA Education Hot Line for the last several years and has recently left to be a full-time nursing student and mom! Many of our readers will recall Emily's cheerful voice and glad-to-help manner.
"He's been sleeping like a champ and is wide-eyed and happy for the few hours a day he's awake," Emily writes. "Can't ask for a better baby.... I'm in love. :)"
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| Two New AORN "Recommended Practice" Documents Now Available
| Within the past month, AORN has published two revised documents that are the result of considerable work to review existing research and to collaborate with the broader perioperative community in determining best practices. Click on the document name below to read more about the revised recommendations; both documents are available for purchase as eDocuments.
AORN Recommended Practices for Surgical Attire includes stronger recommendations and rationales than in the past for donning and safely laundering surgical attire, based on emerging evidence showing a connection between attire and possible risk of infection.
AORN Recommended Practices for Laser Safety in Perioperative Practice Settings. Laser technology is an important tool in health care, but lasers present safety risks to eyes and skin and can pose a potential fire risk. AORN's new recommendations include new information on establishing a perioperative laser safety program, defining the roles of laser safety leaders, and reducing laser safety hazards, such as surgical fire and exposure to surgical smoke.
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