1 2 • O
U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 0
W
e've developed a sign system to alert
staff and physicians about a patient's risk
factors such as allergies, falls, insulin
dependence and skin tears. The signs are printed
with large, upper-case lettering, laminated and
clipped onto the patient's IV pole, allowing staff to
immediately see them when they walk into a room.
These alerts are entered onto patients' EMRs as well
to cover all bases.
The signs work very well and have helped us
avoid a couple near misses with latex allergies.
They're easy and affordable to make; we make
them ourselves with computer paper and pur-
chased a lamination machine. The signs are sani-
tized at the same time beds are cleaned. We used
to print out and hang paper signs, but the laminat-
ed versions work better since we can pull and
reuse them from a stock of already cleaned signs
we have at the ready.
Lora Crum, RN
Gulf Coast Endoscopy and
Surgery Center of Venice
Venice, Fla.
lcrum@gulfcoastendocenter.com
WARNING LABEL Laminated alerts ensure staff are aware of a patient's specific risk factors.
PATIENT SAFETY
Signs Signal What Precautions to Take
Lora
Crum
Ideas Work
That