Perioperative time capsule

AORN Journal, March, 2002

40 YEARS AGO IN NURSING

The March/April 1962 issue of OR Nursing contains an article on communication. The author says that an individual's reaction to the learning environment is more important than the environment itself. * A report on the ninth AORN Congress tells how 1,578 registrants overcame winter weather to reach Denver and attend the Congress judged "the best yet." * "Cast syndrome," which is marked by pernicious vomiting and derangement of body chemistry and can occur in people who have a cast encasing their abdomen, is the subject of one "Clinical Brief." * The formation of AORN of Chicago, which began with 28 nurses during the ninth Congress, is the focus of another article.

30 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

The March 1972 issue of the Journal addresses the team spirit and interdependency of perioperative staff members. The author says that other hospital departments do not have this same spirit. * "News in ORbit" tells of the development of a flotation bed designed to help reduce the incidence of bed sores. The bed was made of mud. * According to an article on infection in trauma, before Pasteur's studies and their application to wounds, most wounds became infected. The resultant mortality levels were 70% to 90%. * A recruitment ad for an OR supervisor boasts a starting salary of $9,600 and poolside apartments next to the hospital renting for $65 per month.

20 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

One group of authors tells how they developed a regional course in basic perioperative nursing to meet the needs of their small community hospital in preparing new perioperative practitioners. * An article titled "Building support for the circulator issue" says the television show M*A*S*H led viewers to believe the circulating nurse could function only under the supervision of a surgeon. * Home care for children is the subject of another article. The practice was prevalent in Great Britain at this time, but it also was controversial. * In "OR Nursing Law," one reader asks whether the intraoperative record should be written as a narrative or checklist. It is advised that the record should be written as a narrative.

10 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

In a research article regarding certification, 93% of the perioperative nurses surveyed agreed that CNOR certification is not an exclusive measure of excellence. * Delta hepatitis is the subject of another article. People at high risk for contracting this disease, which may lead to severe hepatocyte necrosis, include intravenous drug users and those with hemophilia. * One author, discussing ethylene oxide (EO), says that it is not uncommon for instruments to be removed prematurely from EO aerators, which may lead to serious patient injury or death. * In an opinion column, one author suggests considering organization size and character when contemplating a job change.