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U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0
Ideas Work
That
W
e devised a simple method to let each other know when
ORs have been turned over and are ready for the next
patient. A staff member places a magnetic button
embossed with our facility's logo on the metal frames of the OR
doorways. This one simple step improves efficiencies by immedi-
ately alerting staff that the next patient can be brought back for
surgery. If you don't have metal doorframes at your facility, there
are other simple ways to signify a room has been cleaned. For
instance, you can secure laminated placeholders on doors with
double-sided tape or Velcro and slip in cards that say "clean"
inside them after the turnover process has been completed.
Victoria Wiltshire, MBA, RN
SightTrust Eye Institute
Sunrise, Fla.
vwiltshire@sighttrust.com
VISUAL CUE
Magnets Signal When ORs Are Ready
TURNOVER TRICK Buttons stuck on doorframes tell
staff at SightTrust Eye Institute that rooms have been
cleaned and prepped for the next case.
Victoria
Wiltshire,
MBA,
RN
STAFF SATISFACTION
Keep Track of Breaks With an App
S
taff members who aren't given time
to take breaks during busy shifts can
quickly become dissatisfied.
Ensuring each staff member has an opportu-
nity to step away from surgery for a few
minutes can be difficult due to ineffective
ways for assigning and tracking break times.
That's why I worked with one of our hospi-
tal's IT reps to adapt an app that tracks
breaks for anesthesia providers to the needs
of the surgery department. Surgical team
members downloaded the app to their
phones or computers. When they go on
break, they check the appropriate box in the
app, which records the time and the OR in
which the break was taken. Our board run-
ners monitor the app throughout the day
and reallocate staffing resources based on breaks
remaining to be taken. We monitor weekly trends
and talk directly with staff members who don't take
assigned breaks to ensure they have a chance to
reset and recharge.
Matt Lucas, BSN, RN, CNOR
Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital
at Vanderbilt
Nashville, Tenn.
matthew.r.lucas@vumc.org
CLOCK OUT The Break Tracker app makes sure all staff members receive much-needed respites.
Matt
Lucas,
BSN,
RN,
CNOR