and a fruitless exercise if you don't seriously consider the results and
develop action steps based on your staff's feedback. Focus on their
top 3 areas of concern and potential improvement. It's essential to
show your staff that you hear their concerns and are taking specific
action steps to address them. You will likely lose their trust and buy-in
if you don't follow through on implementing suggested changes neces-
sary to further enhance the culture of safety.
Involve the surgeons
While the survey is intended for staff to fill out, a lack of sur-
geon involvement is often the missing ingredient in facilities that
struggle to develop policies that improve patient safety. Including sur-
geons in the survey will help to determine where improvements in
surgeon-staff communication can be made. Are surgical team mem-
bers asked to discuss the overall surgery plan just before procedures
begin? Do surgeons ask for input from the staff throughout a case?
It's helpful to partner with a surgeon who your staff likes and
respects to emphasize the importance of the survey to her peers and
assist in implementing the changes they request. Having a physician-
champion is key for improving patient safety. For example, one of our
surgeons asked what he could personally do to improve the culture of
safety in his OR. I challenged him to address the team before each
case like this: "I need you, so I can do my best work. I give you per-
mission to speak up if at any time you see something you're con-
cerned about or something we need to address, because our goal is to
provide the best possible patient care." Imagine the impact that sur-
geon can have on the team's safety mindset by beginning each case
with that important and inspiring message.
3
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 3 9
