ures on all orthopedic and abdominal bowel patients.
"If we can prevent one infection, it pays to have our bundled
process in place," says Ms. Sliwinski. "It's a patient safety initiative
that helped to substantially decrease infection rates and ultimately led
to great cost savings for our regional facilities."
What are you putting up my nose?
You can expect that some patients will be apprehensive about a nurse
sticking something up their nose, especially a cool viscous liquid that
sometimes drips. Linda Smith, BSN, RN, CNOR, clinical resource spe-
cialist for surgical services at St. Elizabeth Youngstown (Ohio),
trained pre-op nurses to calm patients about the infection prevention
initiative by "reminding them that we all know that germs are present
in our nasal passages. The solution on this swab will deactivate those
germs while you're in surgery so that we can reduce the chances of a
surgical site infection."
Another key is ensuring that your busy pre-op nurses take the time to
perform nasal decolonization. Ms. Smith recommends chart audits and
spot checks. "Pop into their unit when you know they've admitted a
patient," she says, "and watch what they do."
Patients might feel like they should blow their nose after they've
been swabbed, but tell them to resist the urge because they'll remove
some of the decolonizing solution, says Ms. Sliwinski.
You'll need buy-in from not only staff, but also from your physicians.
Send a letter to each surgeon's office outlining your SSI prevention
bundle, says Ms. Sliwinski, who also recommends inviting your vendor
to educate your team on site. Encourage your staff to swab their own
nostrils, not only to experience what it feels like, but also to decolo-
nize MRSA/MSSA-positive caregivers, says Ms. Smith.
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 • M A R C H 2 0 1 9
