1 0 • 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
Ideas Work
P r a c t i c a l p e a r l s f r o m y o u r c o l l e a g u e s
That
I
n the rush to start the next case, it's easy for staff to skip steps
when turning over and setting up a room. To make sure our nurses
and techs complete all the necessary steps before they get the next
patient, I developed (and illustrated!) this OR clock that hangs in all 18
of our ORs and helps orient new staff here at Vanderbilt Children's
Hospital. It took me a year to nail down all aspects of a proper room
setup — not just what should happen, but also the order in which it
should happen, all the while minimizing the time the circulator will be
away from the patient's bedside during induction. The 12-station check-
12-STEP PROCESS
Countdown to Room Setup
• HANDS OF TIME The OR clock is a 12-step process that ensures nurses have completed all necessary tasks in order to safely
and effectively start the case.
Natalie
Stewart-Mast,
BSN,
RN