8 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9
J
ulie Greenhalgh,
RN, BSN,
CNOR, began
her career in the
OR in 1975.
After 42 years of inhaling
surgical smoke, her lungs
couldn't take it anymore.
She left the OR a couple
years ago for the smoke-free
sanctuary of office-based
surgery (where there's no
cautery). Gone are the con-
stant upper respiratory
infections and chronic bron-
chitis she suffered. Gone are
the 3 inhalers she needed
daily to ease the shortness
of breath, chest tightness and wheezing.
Ms. Greenhalgh, 64, may have retired early from perioperative nurs-
ing, but she left the OR a much better place. As past president of the
Rhode Island chapter of AORN and now its government affairs liai-
son, she helped lead the effort for Rhode Island to become the first
state to pass legislation that requires all hospitals and ambulatory
surgery centers to use surgical smoke evacuation systems. The law
took effect on New Year's Day. Facilities have 90 days from Jan. 1 to
Smoke Forced Her Out of the OR —
She Then Forced Smoke Out of the OR
Rhode Island nurse pushed hard for mandatory smoke evacuation law.
Julie
Greenhalgh,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
Mike Morsch | Associate Editor
• IT'S THE LAW Julie Greenhalgh, RN, BSN, CNOR, (left) retired from
the OR due to breathing problems, but not before helping Rhode Island
pass a mandatory smoke evacuation law that went into effect Jan. 1.