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Each year, AORN strives to provide the very best in perioperative nursing education at its annual meeting. At the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2022, attendees will receive continuing education that focuses on current issues and trends, evidencebased practice and research, and health care initiatives relative to the advancement of perioperative practice. Several of the distinguished speakers from the 2022 schedule have graciously agreed to participate in interviews about their upcoming sessions to provide a sample of the extensive educational offerings from which attendees will be able to choose. Additional speaker interviews were published in the January issue of the AORN Journal.
PERIOPERATIVE CARE AFTER DEATH: COMPASSIONATE CARE FOR PATIENTS, FAMILY, AND THE PERIOPERATIVE TEAM
Joanne D. Muyco, MSN, RN, CNOR
The process of dealing with death in the OR is often not discussed and there is limited exposure and research on this topic. Speaking from her 10 years of experience in perioperative nursing, Joanne D. Muyco, MSN, RN, CNOR, cardiovascular OR manager at Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas, will provide information on how nurses deal with, understand, and participate in the care of a patient who experiences sudden death in the OR. She will also explore evidence-based recommendations for how to cope and deal with sudden death in the OR and share interventions that demonstrate compassionate care for the patient, family members, and the nursing team.
AORN Journal: How did you become interested in the topic you will be presenting at the AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo 2022?
Muyco: Many perioperative nurses consider perioperative death as "taboo" or something that does not occur in the OR. I experienced my first perioperative death as a graduate nurse in the OR, and that experience greatly impacted my understanding of how perioperative nurses provide care after death-not just to the patient and family-but to the perioperative team as well. I realized that OR nurses, no matter how experienced or tenured, are often not prepared for the aftermath of perioperative death, and there is a unique opportunity for us to explore how we can make perioperative death a positive learning experience for all who are involved.
AORN Journal: Why is this an important and timely topic to present at this year's conference?
Muyco: The COVID-19 pandemic halted...