AORN Recommended Practice for Prevention of Transmissible Infections is Open for Comment

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has posted online for public comment its "Recommended  Practice for Prevention of Transmissible Infections." 

Protecting patients and healthcare practitioners from potentially infectious agent transmission continues to be a primary focus of perioperative registered nurses. The prevention and control of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) requires that all health care organizations implement, evaluate, and adjust efforts to decrease the risk of transmission. The AORN Recommended Practices for the Prevention of Transmissible Infections is intended to guide perioperative RNs in implementing standard precautions and transmission-based precautions (i.e., contact, droplet, airborne) to prevent infection in the perioperative practice setting.

Additional guidance is provided for bloodborne pathogens; personal protective equipment (PPE); immunization; activities of healthcare workers with infections, exudative lesions, and nonintact skin; and emergency preparedness plans. Finally, the document includes guidance for ongoing education and competency evaluation, documentation requirements, policies and procedures, and quality assurance and performance improvement processes.

The opportunity to provide comments is available to AORN members and nonmembers who must register for comment-tracking purposes. If a nonmember does register to comment s/he can use their registration information to comment on all future recommended practices.