Innovative and Technologically Savvy
Article Outline
Perioperative nurses function in an innovative environment where changes in technology and practice occur almost daily. Helping readers to prepare for and adapt to innovation is one of the goals of the AORN Journal. Two ways to achieve this goal are to highlight new technologies and to facilitate the use of existing electronic tools.
AORN Innovation Zone
In September 2009, the AORN Journal introduced a new column called AORN Innovation Zone. The column, written by Carina Stanton, AORN senior news editor, discusses a system for measuring cerebral oxygen levels during surgery.1 This topic has received widespread attention as an important component of patient safety; consequently, cerebral oximetry is increasingly employed during surgical procedures.
Topics and technologies for the column are selected by the Journal staff; the column is not underwritten by the device or product manufacturer (ie, the Journal receives no money for publishing these columns). We will continue to showcase new, innovative, and creative products in order to provide information that promotes nurses' knowledge and awareness of surgical trends. We welcome suggestions for topics or products from readers.
Tapping into Technology
Electronic communication, documentation, and education are other important aspects of perioperative practice. Although not all nurses or ORs are using computers for these purposes, one can safely assume that it is only a matter of time. It is easy (and flippant) to say, “Learn it on your own time”; anyone who has been self-taught on the wonders and frustrations of a computer knows that help is appreciated and usually needed.
To help with this issue, we are introducing another column: Tapping into Technology. In the column's debut article, “Exploring the AORN Journal web site,” Jennifer Brusco, AORN associate editor, addresses how to search for and access AORN Journal articles and columns on the Journal web site at http://www.aornjournal.org.2
In the past, the Journal has published the index of articles for each year in the December issue. The index will no longer be printed, but all Journal articles are available to AORN members electronically via the web site. Let me confess to a pang of regret about no longer being able to flip through the index pages. Let me also state that the change is not only necessary, but it will be user-friendly and provide much more information for individuals searching for articles.
The January Tapping into Technology column will illustrate how to access and find online information about Congress, the Congress Voices blog, and Congress News Online. Future columns will address various forms of technology, including RSS feeds, social media platforms, online continuing education, basic and advanced literature searches, and more. We welcome your technology questions and suggestions. We know that there are both novice and computer-savvy readers, and the goal of this column is to appeal to both.
Increasing Knowledge and Influence
We want your reactions to these new columns. What do you want the Journal to showcase? You can contact the AORN Journal staff via email at journalcolumns@aorn.org.
The purpose of both new columns is to strengthen your ability to access information and thereby expand your ability to participate more fully in the health care universe. The more you know and the more skill you develop in the use of electronic resources, the more influence you have. And influencing the perioperative arena enables you to empower your practice and make a difference in your patients' outcomes.
References
PII: S0001-2092(09)00847-3
doi:10.1016/j.aorn.2009.11.028
© 2009 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.