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July 2019 Issue
This July issue includes a CE article on intraoperative neuromonitoring, which offers a basic understanding of the method, its purpose, associated terminology, and nursing implications; and a CE article on social determinants of health, the conditions that people are born into and live under that affect their health. The Clinical Issues column explores chemical sterilant exposure risk, sterilization wrap size selection, identifying holes in sterilization wrap, using tape to hold retention plates in rigid sterilization containers, and immediate-use steam sterilization for dropped instruments.
Featured CE Articles
Intraoperative Neuromonitoring: Principles and Considerations for Perioperative Nurses
Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) is a method used to warn the surgeon of impending neurological damage while it can still be corrected, ideally preventing a permanent neurological deficit in the surgical patient. The IONM tests most frequently used in the OR are somatosensory evoked potentials; transcranial electrical motor evoked potentials; electromyography, including cranial nerve monitoring; and electroencephalography. This article provides perioperative nurses with a basic understanding of IONM, including the framework, purpose, associated terminology, and nursing implications.
Back to Basics: Social Determinants of Health
Social determinants of health (SDOH) are the conditions that people are born into and live under that affect their health. Perioperative nurses encounter the effects of SDOH when patients express concern about surgery scheduling times, transportation, child care, and other support-related issues during the perioperative period. Perioperative nurses can establish trust with their patients by identifying their needs and partnering with community-based organizations to address some of those needs, which may help relieve stress for their patients and promote better postsurgical outcomes.
July 2019 Clinical Issues
This month's column addresses the following topics:
- Chemical sterilant exposure risk
- Sterilization wrap size selection
- Identifying holes in sterilization wrap
- Using tape to hold retention plates in rigid sterilization containers,
- Immediate-use steam sterilization for dropped instruments