Championing Surgical Safety: A Perioperative Nurse’s Perspective on Infection Prevention

Amanda Heitman, BSN, RN, CNOR, a seasoned perioperative nurse with over 2 decades of experience, and a member of Infection Control Today^®(ICT)^® has dedicated her career to advancing patient safety and surgical excellence. With a background in surgical services education and leadership, she founded Periop Anew, a consulting and education company focused on perioperative quality and safety. Her work extends across clinical practice, teaching, and advocacy, including her role as the clinical administrator of the AORN’s Periop 101 course, and she was a candidate for the national Association for periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) Board of Directors.

Heitman’s approach to infection prevention is rooted in hands-on practice and education. In her current hospital role, she not only supervises surgical services but remains active in patient care, scrubbing and circulating to maintain strong clinical ties. She emphasizes preparation, environmental control, instrument inspection, and constant vigilance during procedures to minimize infection risks. Her attention to aseptic technique and surgical timing aligns with current best practices for reducing surgical site infections.

“As a perioperative nurse, my number one priority is my patient,” Heitman told Infection Control Today® (ICT)^®. “I strive to make sure I'm instilling best practices through education when I'm training folks, either on the floor in my own practices or in the classroom with nurses who are learning how to be in the operating room when I'm educating them. Infection prevention is a key concern in our operating rooms because the risk is always potentially going to be there, but what interventions that we implement can really help reduce that risk?”

Heitman identifies a growing interest in innovative infection prevention methods. These include the use of chlorhexidine-based irrigation products to reduce antibiotic resistance, enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols that help shorten hospital stays, and advanced wound therapies such as fish-scale-based dressings and compact wound vacuum systems. These tools, she notes, empower perioperative staff to improve patient outcomes and encourage engagement through continued learning.

Looking ahead, Heitman advocates for greater exploration of how newer medications—particularly those with infection-related side effects—impact surgical patients. She believes health care professionals must be better prepared to address these risks proactively, adjusting protocols as necessary. She calls for ICT to explore these emerging concerns, especially as medication regimens and surgical risks continue to evolve. For Heitman, continuous education and innovation remain key pillars in safeguarding patient health in the operating room.