Perioperative time capsule

AORN Journal,  April, 2004  

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40 YEARS AG0 IN THE AORN JOURNAL

According to the keynote speaker at the 1964 Congress, women currently represent one-third of the labor force in the United States. * An author states that OR nurses have not been replaced, but rather have been delegated to a higher position of supervising and teaching technical personnel. * An article reviews identification and prevention of nerve injuries during surgery. * "News in ORbit" reports that a new booklet from the US Food and Drug Administration catalogs fakes and swindles in the health care field. An estimated one billion dollars per year is spent on unnecessary and falsely represented products and treatments for illnesses, such as cancer, colitis, diabetes, ulcers, and "lost manhood."

30 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

A physician writes that an RN is the only professional qualified to lead nursing practice in the OR. The primary role of RNs, therefore, should be clinical rather than administrative. * An article on breast cancer says that women often fear the cure more than the disease, and they are apt to want a procedure that preserves the breast without considering the procedure's applicability to their type and stage of cancer. * "News in ORbit" reports that the head of one monkey was transplanted onto the body of another. The transplantee retained the ability to see, smell, hear, and react to stimuli. * President Nixon declared the first National Nurse Week, Feb 10 to 16. Unfortunately, AORN was not notified of this until Feb 20.

20 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

An author says human amniotic membranes are being used as inexpensive, readily available wound dressings. * A reader asks "Clinical Issues" whether home laundering of scrub attire is acceptable. The answer states that for the safety of OR personnel and the people they live with, attire should be laundered at a facility that is approved and monitored by the hospital. An article reports on an investigational cancer treatment that involves using an argon laser-pumped tunable dye laser in conjunction with hematoporphyrin derivative to photoradiate malignant tumors. * "Legislation" states that the US Department of Health and Human Services is holding firm in its language that only RNs may perform circulating duties.

10 YEARS AG0 IN THE AORN JOURNAL

An article provides nurses with an introduction to intraoperative neural monitoring, including electroencephalography, evoked potentials, and nerve conduction studies. * "Legislation" reports that when hospitals attempt to standardize nurses salaries by engaging in salary surveys, they may be violating antitrust laws regarding price fixing.

* A study on laser education for nurses found that a significant number of nurses involved in laser procedures had no training beyond a very basic level. The Journal reports on an article that suggests nurses should use the words "die" and "death" rather than euphemisms like passed away" when speaking to grieving family members, since these euphemisms can seem patronizing and do not lessen the impact of the death.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Association of Operating Room Nurses, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group