1 • 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 2 0
I
t's not that difficult
to learn from your
mistakes. All it
takes is gathering your
nurses and surgical
techs for a half-hour
meeting every few
months to talk about
errors that occurred
and what can be done
to make sure they don't
happen again.
Surgeons do it all the
time. They meet to comb over the details of a surgical error, discuss what
could have gone differently, and update policies and procedures to
ensure they don't repeat the same mistake. The forums, called morbidity
and mortality meetings, have been extremely successful in improving the
practice of experienced physicians and the training of med students and
surgical residents.
When several of our nurses who were involved in an adverse event
participated in a surgeon-led morbidity and mortality meeting, I
thought: Why shouldn't other members of the surgical team benefit
from the same frank conversations about ways to improve patient
safety?
We now gather members of the surgical team to discuss incidents
that occurred, including near misses or complications that can be
avoided. The meetings are held once a quarter, lasting no more than
Safer Care in 30 Minutes or Less
Meet as a team to discuss how to prevent patient harm.
Safety
Amy Brunson, MSN, RN, CNOR
• LISTEN AND LEARN Quarterly meetings that address high-risk situations,
complications and adverse events are growth opportunities for the entire surgical
team.
Baylor
Scott
&
White
Medical
Center