F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 8 3
F
or many surgeons, nurses and techs, sharps safety is
merely preventative, another necessary precaution in a
long line of necessary-but-onerous precautions that are
just part of the job. But for Brenda G. Larkin, MS, RN,
ACNS-BC, CNS-CP, CSSM, CNOR, clinical nurse special-
ist with Aurora Health Care in Elkhorn, Wis., sharps safety is person-
al.
Back in the early 1990s, before the emergence of neutral zones, Ms.
Larkin suffered a sharps injury during an orthopedic procedure when
a resident absentmindedly placed a needle on the mayo stand. Ms.
Larkin, who also serves on the AORN board of directors, reached
Jared Bilski | Senior Associate Editor
Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor
Getting to the Point of Sharps Safety
There's more work to be done before
sticks and cuts no longer occur in today's ORs.
• NEUTRAL TERRITORY Requiring staff to use a hands-free neutral zone is one of the most effective ways to prevent sharps
injuries.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
