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Full-Text Articles in Medicine and Health Sciences
Using Education To Promote Waste Segregation And Waste Reduction In The Operating Room: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Sarah E. Landgraf
Using Education To Promote Waste Segregation And Waste Reduction In The Operating Room: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Sarah E. Landgraf
Master's Theses and Capstones
Background: The operating room (OR) is known to be one of the largest producers of medical waste and of the surgical specialties, orthopedic surgery tends to the largest portion of this. Waste from the OR can be mitigated by recycling non-contaminated materials. This reduces the number of raw materials needed to create new products, decreases landfill use, and lowers hospital costs.
Local Problem: It was observed that a gap in knowledge existed related to recyclables in the OR of a large medical center in New England. Also, it was observed that there was potential for waste and recycling to be …
Inefficiency In The Post Anesthesia Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Ashley St. Martin
Inefficiency In The Post Anesthesia Care Unit: A Quality Improvement Initiative, Ashley St. Martin
Master's Theses and Capstones
Background: The post anesthesia care unit (PACU) is a busy environment in which nurses communicate with patients, family members, and a large team of perioperative professionals. PACU nurses were experiencing an unmanageable number of work interruptions due to a higher patient census which increased the daily surgical caseload.
Aim: The purpose of this project was to improve efficiency and nurses’ job satisfaction by making work interruptions manageable in the PACU.
Methods: Based on Kotter’s Change Theory, a quality improvement initiative was implemented using a change in the communication process. Qualitative and quantitative data was gathered in the PACU and on …