T
here was nothing magic about the way we began to clear
the air in our ORs. Yes, there was smoke, and yes, there
were mirrors — to get started, we took a good long look at
ourselves and our knowledge base — but ultimately, it was
education and information, not sleight of hand, that began
to make the difference. Our initiative is ongoing, but we've made some
significant progress in protecting the health of our OR teams and
patients. Here's how.
1. We studied the issue. The team we put together to address surgical
smoke included an OR manager, our educator, two other clinical nurs-
es and me. We wanted the initiative to be evidence-based, so the first
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O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | A P R I L 2 0 1 5
Where There's Smoke …
There's Progress
We're using education
to help clear the air
in our ORs.
S.L. Chavis, RN, CNOR
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
z SILENT DANGER Many microorganisms can survive
electrosurgery and end up in the lungs of OR staff.
