op bays. If a nurse walks by and sees the yellow socks and the patient
says, 'Hey, I need to get up and go to the restroom,' then the nurse can
see the patient is at high risk for falls and get someone to help that
patient."
The Patient Fall Initiative is only one of many steps Houston
Physicians' Hospital has taken to protect patients. Here's what else.
Taking time for time outs
Patient safety at HPH begins at the front desk when an admissions
tech places identification bands on patients during the registration
process for all procedures, including radiology exams. The identity of
4 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8
To make their handoff system
seamless, the surgical services
staff at Waynesboro (Pa.)
Hospital created a "Ticket to
Ride" checklist form staff must
complete before a patient can
"board the train" to the OR suite;
and a "Ticket to Exit" form, which
commences in the OR where the
checklist left off. The forms have
let the surgical services depart-
ment give consistent reports
regardless of where the patient
is during the perioperative cycle.
"This guarantees no gaps or breaches in patient safety," says
Brandy Ginzinger, RN, the hospital's surgical services manager.
— Mike Morsch
Seamless Handoffs
• SEAMLESS HANDOFF Circulator Annamarie
Clevenstine, RN, (left) and Kelsea Decker, RN, a pre-
op/PACU nurse, review handoff forms at Waynesboro (Pa.)
Hospital.
Brandy
Ginzinger,
RN
