report that they've adopted
smoke policies to the Rhode
Island Department of Health.
It's not enough to have
smoke evacuation equipment
in place. It's got to be in use
— regardless of the surgeon's
preference.
"If you've got a surgeon who
says, 'I'm not using it (the
smoke evacuator),' you say,
'Yes, you are, because the pol-
icy states you have to,'" says
Ms. Greenhalgh.
Each facility can write its
own policies, but they must
state that a smoke evacuator must be used during every procedure in
which smoke is being emitted from the surgical field.
Where there's smoke
Ms. Greenhalgh began working on the surgical smoke problem
around 2005. She wrote her state's legislators who were supportive of
nursing practices and health safety. Testifying before passage of the
landmark law, Ms. Greenhalgh held up the plastic bag where she kept
her 3 inhalers. "I have a constant cough, bronchitis and asthma," she
told legislators.
Since moving to a smoke-free facility, she hasn't had to take antibi-
otics to stave off respiratory infections, and she rarely needs an
inhaler.
"That in itself tells you something right there," she says.
8 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 • J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9
"If you've got a surgeon who says,
'I'm not using it (the smoke evacuator),'
you say, 'Yes, you are, because the
policy states you have to.'"
— Julie Greenhalgh, RN, BSN, CNOR
