for Perioperative Nurses, NPs and RNFAs
June 24, 2011 Vol. 4, No. 5 |
|
Summer Hours
| |
Monday - Thursday
7:30 am - 4 pm MST
-----------------------------
Friday
7:30 am - 2 pm MST
|
Need Answers Now?
Call Emily! |
Have questions about RNFA training, credentialing, reimbursements, state issues, or just want to "talk shop" between cases? Call us on the NIFA HOT LINE! Emily Haas or one of our other helpful staff members will answer your question or immediately direct you to the right person. Call 1-800-92ASSIST, press 1.
|
| Spread the Word! | |
Send this e-news to friends and colleagues using the "forward email" link at the bottom.
Anyone can sign up for a free, privacy-protected subscription by clicking on the "join our mailing list" button below.
|
|
|
From the Editor
It's summertime! Time to kick back, relax, and do a little reading.
The study we highlight below is fascinating and thought provoking. Pour yourself something cold, sit down in a cool spot and enjoy.
Julie Lancaster, Editor
|
 | New Study: The Silent Treatment
| When you see something being done inappropriately in the OR--a shortcut being taken, a protocol not being followed, a colleague being disrespectful--do you speak up about it?
 According to a new study, "The Silent Treatment: Why Safety Tools and Checklists Aren't Enough to Save Lives," many nurses don't--especially when the topic is politically risky or emotionally charged.
It's natural to want to avoid confrontation. But in the OR such silence can be catastrophic and even deadly.
The new study is a joint effort by AORN (The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses), AACN (American Association of Critical-Care Nurses) and VitalSmarts, a training company that focuses on crucial conversations. It builds on a 2005 study, "Silence Kills: The Seven Crucial Conversations for Healthcare."
"The Silent Treatment shows how nurses' failure to speak up when risks are known undermines the effectiveness of current safety tools," the study states. "It then focuses on three specific concerns that often result in a decision to not speak up: dangerous shortcuts, incompetence, and disrespect. The Silent Treatment tracks the frequency and impact of these communication breakdowns, then uses a blend of quantitative and qualitative data to determine actions that individuals and organizations can take to resolve avoidable breakdowns."
Click to read a PDF of the study report.
|
| Not Your Grandmother's Scrubs |
New and improved fabrics used for surgical gowns, lab coats and scrubs promise to increase stain resistance, bacteria resistance, durability and more. Click here to read a brief report on NurseZone.com about three new products coming out.
|
|
We're Proud, Too!
| |
Last month Gracie Parsons, daughter of NIFA Surgical Education Director Dean Parsons, was named Omaha's Best Soccer Player--Girls Player of the Year. She's shown here with her proud mom. You go, Gracie!
|
|
|
|
|
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this newsletter are strictly those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NIFA. NIFA does not give any express or implied warranty as to the
accuracy of statements made by our contributors and does not accept any liability for error or omission. It is the responsibility of all perioperative personnel to work within and adhere to their facility bylaws and individual state scope of practice.
 The National Institute for First Assisting (NIFA) is the nation's leader of distance learning RNFA programs. NIFA students receive over 34 hours of simulated skills hands-on lab training at our 3-day SutureStarXpress Workshops (or over 54 hours of simulated skills hands-on lab training at our 6-day SutureStar Workshops). NIFA's RNFA programs are CCI-accepted and meet all standards as set forth by the AORN for formal RN First Assistant programs, taking Perioperative Nurses and NPs to expert levels in the expanded role of Registered Nurse First Assistant. |
|
|
