J U N E 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 1 7
T
he battle for control of
the thermostat is a com-
mon occurrence in ORs
and a source of undo stress for
the surgical team. We decided to
give final say of the room's
ambient temperature to a single
staff member, who holds the key
that unlocks the plastic box cov-
ering the thermostat. That per-
son is the only one who can turn
up the heat or cool things down
to keep the temperature within
the AORN-recommended range
of 68°F to 73°F, no matter how
much surgeons or staff complain about being too hot or too cold.
Miriam Dowling-Schmitt, MS, RN, CPHQ, CPPS
Spectrum Healthcare Partners
Portland, Maine
miriam.schmitt@spectrumhcp.com
TEMPERATURE MONITOR Giving a single staff member
total say over how cool or hot to keep ORs eliminates a
common source of angst among the surgical teams.
Keep the OR Thermostat Under Lock and Key
Miriam
Dowling-Schmitt,
MS,
RN,
CPHQ,
CPPS
will present with the symptoms we screen for, we feel the list
improves our ability to identify patients who shouldn't undergo sur-
gery.
Kimberly Rickards, RN, MSN
Red Lion Surgicenter
Philadelphia
krickards@redlionsurgicenter.com
