Risk Managers in the OR Campaign is Underway During Perioperative Nurse Week, Nov. 14-20, 2004

DENVER, Colo. -- The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) is partnering with the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM) to bring risk managers into hospital and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) operating rooms.

AORN is promoting Risk Managers in the OR during Perioperative Nurse Week, Nov. 14-20, 2004. Each year, AORN honors perioperative nurses with activities and resources designed to raise public awareness and recognize the important role perioperative nurses play in improving patient safety. This year, nurses across the nation will be inviting risk managers into the OR. The theme of this years Perioperative Nurse week is Touching Lives, Making a Difference.

Perioperative nurses across the nation will be inviting their risk managers to put on scrubs and spend some time in the OR. The purpose of this program is to help risk managers experience the operating room environment first-hand and learn more about risks and

risk-reduction strategies for patients and healthcare workers. Through this program, risk managers will see what is happening on the front lines of care.

The goal of Risk Managers in the OR is to enhance mutual understanding among healthcare providers in an effort to improve collaboration for patient and workplace safety. The purpose of the risk managers visit is to gain a broader understanding of

the perioperative environment.

Areas of interest for the risk manager include:

Traffic control

Aseptic technique

Patient safety concerns in the operating room

Healthcare worker safety concerns

Patients rights

Providing safe care for patients undergoing surgery and other invasive procedures requires a committed team of healthcare professionals. Perioperative nurses are central to the success of the team, but quality perioperative care also extends beyond the OR. The risk manager is a key member of that extended team. Through the collaboration, risk managers and perioperative nurses can form a relationship to reduce risk in the perioperative setting.

AORN and ASHRM share a commitment to patient safety. While the perioperative nurse has a primary focus on the individual patient, the risk manager concentrates on managing and preventing risk within the entire organization. The risk manager is one of the perioperative nurses key resources. The inherent complexity of surgery requires a strong partnership among health care providers throughout the organization to promote optimum

communication and safe patient care delivery systems. Spending a day in the OR with a perioperative nurse can help develop strong working relationships. This partnership will create a safer environment for all.

Source: AORN