AORN journal
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The need for properly trained sterile processing staff members has grown with the increased sophistication of surgical procedures. In 1998, I conducted a survey of hospitals about various aspects of training sterile processing personnel, including the length of time for training employees to process general surgical and specialty surgical instruments. ⋯ A calculation of the cost to train a sterile processing technician to the competent level, including the salary of the preceptor, was $41,414 for 2008, an increase of more than 100% from the 1998 calculation. These costs must be weighed against the loss of revenue when procedures are delayed because of missing, damaged, or unclean instruments and the patient safety issues that could result if an employee is not well trained.
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More than 500,000 health care workers are exposed to surgical smoke every year. Toxic gases create an offensive odor, small particulate matter causes respiratory complications, and pathogens may be transmitted in the surgical smoke to the surgical team. Previous research notes that perioperative nurses do not consistently follow smoke evacuation recommendations. ⋯ Data from a web-based survey completed by 777 nurse members of AORN were analyzed to examine the relationship between the key indicators and compliance with smoke evacuation recommendations. Major findings were that specific key indicators influencing compliance include increased knowledge and training, positive perceptions about the complexity of the recommendations, and increased specialization, interconnectedness, and leadership support in larger facilities. Education programs can be developed that directly address these key predictors so that a surgical environment free from surgical smoke is promoted.