Major Milestone
The initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccines
provide promise for a healthier future, even as
death tolls rise and frustrations mount about the
sputtering rollout.
Outpatient Surgery Editors
24 Cardiovascular Care Is the Next Big Thing
Procedures are shifting to surgery centers, but
adding the cases is not for the faint of heart.
Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor
29 Rethinking Pressure Injury Prevention
A surprising skin injury led to the launch of
a hospital's effective risk-reduction program.
Dan Cook | Editor-in-Chief
32 Nasal Decolonization Slashed Our SSI Rates
The simple pre-op practice eliminated
infections and saved our hospital several
hundred thousand dollars.
Susan Franklin, RN
38 Satiated Before Surgery
Pre-op nutrition is a major component
of priming patients for procedures.
Dan Cook | Editor-in-Chief
41 Warming Works Wonders
We trialed prewarming on a small group
of patients, and now interest is heating up
among multiple specialties.
Kathy Abbott, BSN, RN
46 Can You Pass This Medication Safety Quiz?
Test your knowledge of current
best practices with this informative exam.
Danielle Bouchat-Friedman | Associate Editor
51 Accreditation Inspection Insights
Hard work and plenty of preparation helped
us ace our survey during the pandemic.
Linda Nelson, MSN, RN-BC and Anissa Harris
56 How to Handle the Colonoscopy Surge
Double down on sound endoscope reprocessing
to provide safe and efficient care during even
your busiest days.
Casey Czarnowski, BA, CRCST, CSPDT, CIS, CER
Contents
February 2021 • Vol. XXII, No. 2
Features
18 COVER STORY
24
38
41
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E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 3
