time (look for a 1-
minute kill time) and
factors out of a
turnover team's con-
trol.
"The reality is each
OR is encased in a
facility ecosystem that
may or may not sup-
port the gained effi-
ciencies of a fast
turnover," says Ms. De Vito. "The entire system needs to be primed to
load a new patient into the room: sterile processing, robust picklists,
case carts, trained break staff, equipment availability, site marking,
check-in and pre-op holding."
Assigned zones
You want 3-minute turnovers? "Then there needs to be hands with
cleaning rags," says Ms. De Vito. At a minimum, you'll want a 4-person
turnover team consisting of environmental services, anesthesia techs
and aides. Don't ask the OR staff to pitch in. Let the tech take his dirty
cart out and prepare for the next case. Let the RN take her patient to
PACU, give a report and check-in the next patient.
Assign each member of the turnover team a defined zone for the day
to clean so they know what they're going to lay hands on before they
enter the room. Divide the room into 4 zones: anesthesia, lights/bed,
furniture and floor. If there aren't enough team members to serve
each zone in 3 minutes, then you're not going to see success, warns
Ms. De Vito. If a particular zone takes longer than 3 minutes to clean,
consider splitting it into 2 zones, she says.
4 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8
• THE NEED FOR SPEED "Trained hands on defined zones hone speed," says Lilah
De Vito, RN, BA, CVOR, CNOR.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
