Orientation to the Operating Room Flashcards
Acuity
The complexity of care given in the operating room.
Agency
An establishment engaged in providing health care.
Airborne precautions
Precautions that reduce the risk of an airborne transmission of infectious airborne droplet nuclei particle.
Alcohol-based preparations
Products used for hand antisepsis that increasingly are being used as an alternative to the traditional surgical hand scrub using detergent-based antiseptic agents. Formulations include foams and liquid rinses. These products do not remove soil; therefore, application must be preceded by a soap and water wash when used by surgical team members.
Ambient air
The surrounding environmental air.
Anatomical brush stroke scrub method
A scrub method that uses a prescribed number of brush strokes applied lengthwise with the brush or sponge for each surface of the fingers, hands, and arms, to include 30 strokes on the nails and 20 strokes on all other surfaces.
Anteroom
An outer room that leads to another room and that often is used as a waiting room.
Artificial nails
Substances or devices applied or added to the natural nails to augment or enhance the wearer’s own nails. They include, but are not limited to, bondings, tips, wrappings, and tapes.
Assessment
A continuous activity to collect and document data about the patient’s health status.
Barrier material
Material that prevents the penetration of microorganisms, particulates, and fluids.
Biomedical services personnel
Those individuals in an institution that are trained and qualified to check, troubleshoot, and repair medical equipment.
Cellulosic
A substance made from cellulose or derived from cellulose, such as linen and paper products.
Cleaning
Removal of all foreign material from objects; must precede disinfection and sterilization procedures. A process using friction, detergent, and water to remove organic debris.
Competency
The knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to fulfill the professional role functions of a registered nurse in the operating room.
Confine and contain
A principle that recommends prompt cleanup of items contaminated with blood, tissue, or body fluids.
Contact precautions
Precautions designed to reduce the risk of transmission of epidemiologically important microorganisms by direct or indirect contact.
Contaminated
The presence of potentially infectious pathogenic microorganisms on animate or inanimate objects.
Critical item
Instruments or objects that are introduced directly into the human body, either into or in contact with the blood stream or normally sterile areas of the body; an item that enters sterile tissue or the vascular system.
Decontamination
Any physical or chemical process that serves to reduce the number of microorganisms on any inanimate object to render that object safe for subsequent handling.
Diagnosis
The identification of patient problems, actual or potential, that are amenable to intervention by the perioperative nurse.
Disinfection
A process that destroys some forms of microorganisms, excluding bacterial spores.
Droplet precautions
Precautions that reduce the risk of large particle droplet transmission of infectious agents.
Electrosurgery
The cutting and coagulation of body tissue with a high radio frequency current.
Electrosurgical unit (ESU)
For the purposes of this document, the ESU is defined as the generator; the foot switch with cord (if applicable); and the electrical plug, cord, and connections.
End-of-procedure cleaning
Cleaning that is performed at the end of one surgical procedure before the start of another surgical procedure in the same room
Event-related sterility
Shelf life based on the quality of the packaging material, storage conditions during transportation, and amount of handling of item.
Exogenous
From a source other than the patient (e.g., personnel, equipment, the environment, instruments, supplies).
Exposure incident to pathogens
Specific eye, mouth, or other mucous membranes; non-intact skin; or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials that results from the performance of an employees duties.
Facilities
Buildings and fixed and movable equipment.
Fire/flame retardant
A material that does not support combustion without an external source of heat such as a laser.
Foam surgical scrub products
Scrub agents that are mixed with air as they are dispensed through a specialized nozzle. Some may be applied by rubbing onto dry skin, others by applying to wet skin.
Goal
An expected outcome; a statement of what the nurse expects to observe, hear, or see demonstrated by the patient at a given point in time.
Hands-free or no-touch technique
Instrument transfer between the scrub person and the surgeon that ensures that neither ever touches the same sharp instrument at the same time. Instruments can be placed in a neutral zone between the scrub person and the surgeon.
Healthcare personnel
Individuals directly involved with patient care.
Heat-sealed patch
A patch sealed by heat and occasionally referenced as a “double-vulcanized patch.”
High level disinfection
A process that destroys all microorganisms, with the exception of high numbers of bacterial spores. High-level disinfectants have the capability of inactivation of hepatitis B virus, HIV, and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. High-level disinfectants do not inactivate the virus-like prion that causes Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
High risk
Patients at risk if the aspect of care is not provided correctly and in a timely manner.
Hospital disinfectant
A chemical germicide with label claims for effectiveness against Salmonella choleraesuis, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudonomas aeruginosa. Hospital disinfectants may be either low-level, intermediate-level, or high-level disinfectants.
Infectious waste
Medical waste (eg, blood, body fluids, sharps) that is capable of producing infectious diseases.
Instruments
Surgical tools or devices designed to perform a specific function, such as cutting; dissecting, grasping, holding, retracting, or suturing.
Intermediate-level disinfection
A process that inactivates Mycobacterium tuberculosis, vegetative bacteria, most viruses, and most fungi, but does not necessarily kill bacterial spores.
Intraoperative
The time begins when the patient is transferred to the operating room bed and ends when he or she is admitted to the post-anesthesia area.
Invasive procedures
The surgical entry into tissues, cavities, or organs or repair of major traumatic injuries.
Laser
A device that produces an intense, coherent, directional beam of light by stimulating electronic or molecular transitions to lower energy levels. An acronym for “light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.”
Laser-generated airborne contaminants
Particles, toxins, and steam produced by vaporization of target tissues; surgical smoke
Latex allergy
A systemic or local allergic response to various latex proteins to which the individual has been sensitized.
Leaded apron
A leaded-rubber material worn to protect personnel from scattered radiation.
Low-level disinfection
A process that kills most bacteria, some viruses, and some fungi, but cannot be relied on to kill resistant microorganisms such as tubercle bacilli or bacterial spores.
Maximum permissible exposure
The level of laser radiation to which a person may be exposed without hazardous effects or adverse biologic changes in his or her eyes or skin.
Monopolar electrosurgery
A surgical procedure in which only the active electrode is in the surgical wound-electrosurgery that directs electrical current through the patient’s body and requires the use of a dispersive electrode.
Nominal hazard zone
The space in which the level of the direct, reflected, or scattered radiation used during normal laser operation exceeds the applicable maximum permissible exposure. Exposure levels beyond the boundary of the nominal hazard zone should be below the appropriate maximum permissible exposure level of the laser. Special eye and skin precautions must be enforced.
Noncritical
Instruments or items that come in contact with the patient, but in most instances only with unbroken skin.
Nonviable tissue
Tissue that is nonliving.
Nonwoven materials
Combination of processed cellulosic and synthetic fibers randomly oriented in sheets and held with binders, or fabrics produced by bonding fibers. They are designed as single-use materials.
No-touch technique
The use of an extension such as a sponge forceps, rather than hands, to handle or touch contaminated items or to handle sterile items.
Nursing diagnosis
A concise, explicit statement of the patient’s health status, based on nursing assessment and amenable to nursing intervention.
Nursing intervention
Those activities performed by the nurse to meet expected patient outcomes.
Nursing process
A systematic approach to nursing practice utilizing problem solving techniques. The major components of the nursing process, are assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Occupational dose
Limits of radiation in a year.
Annual exposure limits are:
total-dose equivalent (internal and external combined): 5 rem
lenses of eyes: 15 rem; and
skin, extremities, or individual organs: 50 rem.
Operating room
The environment in which the patient’s surgical procedure is performed.
Operating room nurse
A registered nurse who assumes the perioperative role in providing care to patients experiencing surgical intervention.
Operating room services
All activities related to the functions of the operating room.
Organic debris
Blood, tissue, and body fluids.
Packaging systems
A generic term meant to include all types of packaging such as woven or non-woven wraps, pouches, and rigid container systems.
Peel package
A flexible bag or receptacle used to package items for sterilization.
Peer review
The examination and evaluation by associates of a nurse’s clinical nursing practice. Individuals are evaluated by written standards.
Perioperative
Surrounding the operative and other invasive experience (i.e., before, during, and after).
Perioperative nursing care
The nursing activities that address the needs of patients, their families, and significant others that occur preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively.
Perioperative period
Time commencing with the decision for surgical intervention and ending with a follow-up home/clinic evaluation. This period includes the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases.
Personal protective equipment
Personal protective equipment for standard precautions includes intact gloves, gowns, masks, and eye protection (e.g., face shields, goggles, glasses with side shields).
Personnel
Paid or unpaid health care workers, students, volunteers, physicians, and others who may have direct patient contact or opportunity for exposure to patients or devices, supplies, or equipment used for patients.
Pneumatic
Pertaining to gas or air; filled with compressed gas or air.
Positioning device
Any device or piece of equipment used for positioning the patient and/or providing maximum anatomic exposure.
Postoperative
The time begins with admission to the post anesthesia care area and ends with a resolution of surgical sequelae.
Potentially infectious material
Blood; all body fluids, secretions, and excretions except sweat, regardless of whether they contain visible blood; nonintact skin; mucous membranes; and airborne, droplet, and contact-transmitted epidemiologically important pathogens.
Preoperative
The time begins when the decision for surgical intervention is made and ends with the transference of the patient to the operating room bed.
Process
Activities of the nurse or the process of nursing. Includes those functions carried out by practitioners, such as assessment, planning, treatments, indications for procedure and treatments, technical aspects of performing treatment, and management of complications.
Pulse duration
The duration of a laser pulse; usually measured as the time interval between laser pulses.
Rad
Radiation absorbed dose.
Reassessment
A review of each or any stage of the nursing process because of changing data. This may require a new assessment and a modified care plan.
Regulated medical waste
Sharps (both used and unused), cultures and stocks of infectious agents, carcasses and bedding of animals inoculated with infectious agents, select isolation waste from patients having diseases caused by so-called Class 4 etiologic agents, pathological waste, and human blood.
Reposable
An instrument that has limited use or an instrument with a combination of reusable and disposable components.
Resident microorganisms
Microorganisms persistently isolated from most people’s skin. These microorganisms are considered to be permanent residents of the skin and are not readily removed by mechanical friction.
Rigid container system
Specifically designed heat-resistant metal, plastic, or anodized aluminum receptacles used to package items, usually surgical instruments, for sterilization. The lids and/or bottom surfaces contain steam or gas permeable, high-efficiency microbial filters.
Scatter radiation
Radiation is scattered when an x-ray beam strikes a patient’s body, as it passes through the patient’s body, and as it strikes surrounding structures (e.g., walls, OR furniture).
Scrub attire
Clothing worn in the OR that consists of a two-piece pantsuit made especially for the practice setting.
Semi-critical item
An item that comes in contact with mucous membranes or with skin that is not intact.
Sequential wrapping
A double-wrapping procedure that creates a package within a package.
Sharps
Sharps include, but are not limited to, suture needles, scalpel blades, hypodermic needles, electrosurgical needles and blades, safety pins, and instruments with sharp edges or points.
Simultaneous wrapping
Wrapping with two sheets of wrap at the same time using typical wrapping methods.
Sponges
Sponges are items (i.e., gauze pads, cottonoids, peanuts, dissectors, laparotomy sponges) used to absorb fluids, protect tissues, and/or apply pressure or traction.
Standard
A criterion used by general agreement to determine whether something is as it should be. An agreed-upon level of excellence. An established norm determined by opinion, authority, research, and/or theory.
Standard precautions
The primary strategy for successful nosocomial infection control and reduction of worker exposure; precautions used for care of all patients regardless of their diagnosis or presumed infectious status.
Sterilization
The process of destroying all microorganisms on a substance by exposure to physical and chemical agents; the complete elimination of all forms of microbial life.
