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Biomedical subjects

Suzanne C Beyea

Publications and source records attributed to Suzanne C Beyea.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Medication errors in the PACU: a secondary analysis of MEDMARX findings.

Medication errors commonly occur in many health care settings. This review of medication errors illustrates that complex, fast-paced care delivered in PACUs often occurs in an environment where patients encounter numerous processes as they move from preadmission, to preop holding, to the operating room, to PACU, and then back to a clinical unit or discharge. Using a nationally recognized framework, 645 PACU medication error records were analyzed. The errors resulted in a higher than expected threshold of harm (6.8%), with most errors occurring during the administration phase (59%) of the medication use process. Nearly one quarter of the errors involved an improper dose of a medication. Three quarters of the errors were influenced by distractions. More than 130 different products were present in the sample of cases reviewed. Problem areas identified involved epidural analgesia, patient-controlled analgesia, and duplicate doses.

Causality↗
PubMed2003

Patient safety first alert--epinephrine and phenylephrine in surgical settings.

Epinephrine and phenylephrine always should be used with extreme caution, especially in their most concentrated solutions. This is especially true in the OR where these medications are used for purposes involving extreme variations in doses and strengths. Although these medications may be handled and administered daily, clinicians must be vigilant in their efforts to ensure safe handling practices. Clinicians should monitor patients carefully for any adverse side effects. Practitioners should review up-to-date references for all products, including epinephrine and phenylephrine, and follow the recommended strategies and measures to reduce risks when preparing, handling, or administering these medications in the OR.

Adrenergic alpha-Agonists↗
PubMed2003

Medication errors in the OR--a secondary analysis of Medmarx.

Although medication errors can result in serious patient complications or even death, a paucity of information regarding medication errors that occur in the OR exists. AORN and the US Pharmacopeia (USP) collaboratively conducted a secondary analysis of reports of medication errors that occurred in the OR. These reports were submitted to the USP via the Medmarx program. The findings will give perioperative clinicians further insight into the types and causes of medication errors that occur in the OR and will help them develop potential prevention strategies.

Databases, Factual↗
PubMed2003

Tracking medical devices to ensure patient safety.

Registered nurses in perioperative settings and managers of perioperative departments must work together to implement policies and procedures to ensure compliance with these very important federal regulations. If the information is not recorded in the proper manner and shared with the manufacturer, patients' safety is at risk. Without the ability to contact physicians and patients, manufacturers cannot alert individuals appropriately if problems arise with a certain device. Tracking devices in the correct manner ensures that patients can be notified expediently. Nurses and managers should examine their current practices to ensure that they are consistent with federal regulations. A regular assessment should be conducted to ensure that tracking forms are completed in an accurate, timely manner, that permission to release a patient's social security number is obtained, and that the hospital is compliant with the FDA's most up-to-date list of devices that must be tracked. All perioperative staff members must receive education about the tracking process in their particular institution and receive updates when the process or FDA regulations change. Maintain patient safety by ensuring that the medical device tracking process is followed accurately and meets federal regulations.

Equipment Failure↗
PubMed2003

Setting a research agenda on patient safety in surgical settings.

A culture of safety is an achievable objective for perioperative management. Research in analysis, safety factors, alarms, instruction, and management can make this change rapidly. It is important to build the data and evidence for those practices that show improved patient outcomes. Those practices and the processes that develop them should be sanctioned by responsible organizations in active collaboration.

Humans↗
PubMed2003

Nursing information technology knowledge, skills, and preparation of student nurses, nursing faculty, and clinicians: a U.S. survey.

Because health care delivery increasingly requires timely information for effective decision making, information technology must be integrated into nursing education curricula for all future nurse clinicians and educators. This article reports findings from an online survey of deans and directors of 266 baccalaureate and higher nursing programs in the United States. Approximately half of the programs reported requiring word processing and e-mail skill competency for students entering nursing undergraduate programs. Less than one third of the programs addressed the use of standardized languages or terminologies in nursing and telehealth applications of nursing. One third of the programs cited inclusion of evidence-based practice as part of graduate curricula. Program faculty, who were rated at the "novice" or "advanced beginner" level for teaching information technology content and using information technology tools, are teaching information literacy skills. The southeastern central and Pacific regions of the United States projected the greatest future need for information technology-prepared nurses. Implications for nurse educators and program directors are discussed.

Computer Literacy↗
PubMed2003

A specialty organization addresses the nursing shortage.

The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has committed organization resources to address the worsening shortage of qualified professional registered nurses in the operating room. Organizationally, the efforts have addressed assisting members to recruit new staff and provide orientation and educational experiences that prepare competent practitioners for this specialty. As well, the organization has developed educational programs, membership programs, and other services to support AORN members to develop mentoring relationships with students and new staff. Other organizational efforts include legislative activities and collaborative relationships with other organizations.

Curriculum↗