National Nursing Shortage Crisis Gets Relief from Advanced Karl Storz OR1 Technology.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

CULVER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2004

OR1(R) Integrated Operating Rooms Reducing Demands Placed on

Perioperative Nursing Personnel, Increasing Job Satisfaction;

Empowering Nurses: An OR of One

Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc., a leader in diagnostic and operative endoscope technology, announces that its exclusive OR1(R) integrated operating room system is making an impact in the drive to improve nurse recruiting and retention at hospitals around the country. Some hospitals that have acquired OR1 systems are reporting greater efficiencies in the operating room with a corresponding increase in job satisfaction for perioperative nurse personnel. The news comes in the midst of an acute nursing shortage that finds more than 126,000 positions unfilled. This number is expected to more than triple in the next 20 years as nearly 80 million aging Baby Boomers begin to place unprecedented demands on America's health care system.

Numerous studies point to job dissatisfaction as the major factor contributing to the current problems with recruiting and retaining nurses. According to a recent Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (FNHP) survey, half of currently employed RNs are considering leaving the patient-care field for reasons other than retirement. A survey by the Nursing Executive Center found that 32 percent of general medical/surgical RNs were dissatisfied with their current jobs.

These shortages can have a direct impact on patient outcomes and quality of care. According to University of Pennsylvania researchers, every additional patient in an average hospital nurse's workload increases the risk of death in surgical patients by 7 percent. For this reason, more than 20 states have enacted or are considering nurse-staffing legislation.

"In our conversations with perioperative staff, hospital administrators, OR supervisors and surgeons, we kept hearing about nurse burnout in the operating room. OR1 is our nurse empowerment solution, operating around -- not in spite of -- the needs of the entire nursing team," said Harry Getz, OR1 marketing manager, Karl Storz.

Advanced endoscopy requires a team environment and OR1 promotes teamwork in the operating room. OR1 surgical suites also eliminate many of the dull, repetitive tasks that can occupy the valuable attention of perioperative nurses. OR1 provides both surgeons and operating room staff with a fully integrated operating room environment. Using sophisticated electronic guidance systems, OR1 provides centralized control of every component of the surgical suite, including overhead mounting systems, surgical lights, operating tables, endoscopic equipment, cameras, video systems and documentation solutions.

OR1 clears the floor of power cables and hoses; equipment glides in and out of position with a gentle touch; and one central docking station contains all major power cords, cables and communication lines. OR1's ceiling-mounted units suspend all equipment off the floor for rapid, effortless positioning. And OR1 saves that most precious of nursing assets: time. Nurses can prepare the operating room for the next patient by simply pushing a few buttons to reconfigure OR1.

At the University of Nebraska Health System (NHS) in Omaha, nurses are already realizing the benefits of advanced OR1 technology.

"Surgical nurses no longer have to run from one side of the OR to the other to adjust control settings on devices or lighting," said Shelly Schwedhelm, RN, director of NHS perioperative and emergency services. "Now, all of those adjustments can be made by the surgeon or the nurse with a touch of the screen. In addition, we can call up radiology images, tissue images, retrieve key clinical data and most anything that the surgeon needs with the touch of a screen."

At Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) in Chicago, Illinois, two OR1 facilities recently made their debut.

"With OR1, there has been a noticeable reduction in our turnaround time between procedures," said Medy Manuel, RN, operating room specialty coordinator at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. "This is important because it gives us more time to devote to our number one job responsibility -- taking care of our patients."

The Karl Storz SCB provides centralized control of up to 32 medical devices, including cameras, insufflators and potential third-party units. OR1 also integrates environmental controls such as surgical lighting and video conferencing systems. The circulating nurse controls all of these capabilities at the touch of a button from a well-designed workstation located outside of the sterile field, facilitating improved communication and patient care.

"The nursing workstation consolidates all functions, so the nurse no longer has to be running from one area to the next," said Medy Manuel. "For example, the nurse can modify the light intensity, complete patient documentation and even assist the surgeon in capturing still images or video for use in a presentation or publication -- all without ever leaving the workstation."

Since 1999, Karl Storz has performed OR1 installations at over 400 institutions in North America, Europe and Asia. Additional high technology solutions for the operating room from Karl Storz include Image 1(R), the first camera head to convert the optical image to a digital signal at the CCD sensing chip, and AIDA(TM) DVD, the new single-source solution for integrated image management in today's advanced operating room.

Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, Inc. is an affiliate of Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG, an international leader for more than 50 years in diagnostic and operative technology, encompassing all endoscopic specialties. Based in Tuttlingen, Germany, Karl Storz GmbH & Co. KG is a family-owned company that designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all its products with an emphasis on visionary design, precision craftsmanship and clinical effectiveness. For more information, call 800-421-0837 or visit the company's website at www.karlstorz.com.