manager at Goodland (Kan.)
Regional Medical Center.
"They have a chance to weigh
in and give their opinion of
which safety scalpel they
would like. We gave them a
few to choose from and let the
majority vote rule."
Be flexible, as well. One
facility agreed to switch to a
reusable metal handle with a
safety sheath to give the sur-
geons a more normal feel.
Kristi Sorbello, RN, CNOR,
director of nursing at Upstate
Orthopedics ASC in Syracuse,
N.Y., says her surgeons have
trialed numerous safety
scalpels of all different config-
urations and have yet to find
one that they like.
"They complain about the
flimsiness of the plastic ones,
the obstructed views caused
by the protective shields,
decreased depth of scalpel
handle length by the sheath and the lack of one-handed [activation of
the safety mechanism] that is truly user-friendly," says Ms. Sorbello.
"They also need a sturdy handle for orthopedic/bone work."
When we asked our respondents to describe the one design change
4 2 • 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 Y 2 0 1 9
16.15
% Facility does not
recognize value/need
for safety scalpels.
14.62
% Facility is generally
resistant to change.
16.15
% Facility is generally
slow to adopt new
technology.
35.38
% Facility has not
found acceptable
safety scalpel brand/model.
65.38
% Our surgeons
refuse to use them.
SOURCE: Outpatient Surgery
Magazine Survey, April 2019,
187 respondents
Check the reasons why you
don't use safety scalpels at your
facility (check all that apply).
