Perioperative time capsule

AORN Journal,  Oct, 2005  

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40 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

A British nurse writes about her tour of 33 US hospitals. She noted more use of ancillary personnel in US hospitals and the presence of more surgeons in an OR, each doing less than they would be doing in an English hospital. * "News in ORbit" reports that the presence or absence of particular diseases can be determined by odors given off by one's body. Researchers placed volunteers in huge "bottles" into which highly purified air was pumped. The outgoing air was captured and analyzed. * An article about the upcoming 13th annual AORN Congress in Chicago says that hospitality committee members will wear Gibson Girl dresses with green and white bows. * A news item states that the National Library of Medicine has observed its 100th anniversary.

30 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

To illustrate how nurses could be affected by legislation before Congress, the "Editorial" presents a futuristic scenario in which an OR nurse works independently and is reimbursed for her services by Medicare. * An article discusses whether nurses are abdicating their obligations. The author states, "If you are assigned to scrub while a technician circulates or worse, if you elect to scrub while a technician circulates, you are not playing an appropriate role." * Two new columns debut. The first is "industry's viewpoint," written by the president of the Health Industry Manufacturer's Association, and the second is "Legislation," written by the chair of the Legislative Committee. * A news item reports that a person does not have to smoke to suffer the effects of cigarettes.

20 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

An article addresses advancements in breast reconstruction after mastectomy, including the use of autogenous tissue as an alternative to silicone implants. * A survey of nursing schools finds that 186 of 938 responding schools had a specific didactic course in OR nursing techniques in the basic nursing curriculum. Forty more schools offered an OR nursing elective. * A Home Study article discusses cleft palate repair. The author states that approximately one in 2,000 living neonates has a cleft deformity of the lip or palate, and this is the second most common birth defect in the United States. * An article notes that OR Nurse Day will be observed November 14.

10 YEARS AGO IN THE AORN JOURNAL

The "Editorial" discusses the issue of RNs being discouraged from using their credentials and being made to wear name tags with generic titles, such as "health care worker." The Editor suspects that the reason for the use of ambiguous titles is to disguise the fact that more nonnurses are providing direct patient care. * A case study details the separation of the sternum to the umbilicus. * Other article topics include competency-based orientation, spiritual care of pediatric patients and their family members, and excision of renal cell carcinoma. * A perioperative nurse in Oklahoma City writes about her experiences on the day the Alfred P. Murrah federal building was bombed.

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