Safe staffing for the post anesthesia care unit: weighing the evidence and identifying the gaps.

Postanesthesia nursing care and standards are continually evolving. ASPAN has the professional responsibility to develop standards of nursing practice to promote a safe environment of care. Currently, ASPAN's recommended staffing ratios are based on the best available evidence: expert opinion and consensus.

Patient safety: perianesthesia nursing's essential role in safe practice.

A safety culture that promotes best practices and best outcomes is important in today's healthcare environment. The perianesthesia environment of care is constantly challenged with the introduction of new technologies, improved medications, and advances in surgical and nonsurgical procedures. This practice is also marked by fast turnover, increasing volume, and, often, high-acuity patients.

The history of ASPAN standards.

This article highlights the history of ASPAN's Standards of PeriAnesthesia Nursing Practice. "Born" in the early 1980s, standards were implemented during ASPAN's earliest days as guidelines for patient safety and to promote national consistency in the care of the postanesthesia patient. Through the years, ASPAN's standards have evolved to address new issues arising from member-nurses in active clinical practice.