Culture change
The medical center's staff members know what
roles they play in the turnover process and have
bought into efforts to work more efficiently.
Surgical techs are in charge of breaking down the
back table and disassembling instruments before
sending them to sterile processing. Circulating nurs-
es keep the turnover process organized by assigning
responsibilities to available team members, so tasks
aren't repeated and everything that needs to get
done is covered.
"If two people are working on cleaning up and
removing garbage, they'll say, 'You take the garbage,'
and, 'You go wipe down the anesthesia equipment,'"
says Karen Tjelmeland, BSN, RN, CNOR, Banner
Baywood's nurse manager. "They delegate roles."
Team members who clean OR surfaces follow
AORN's recommendations and cleaning products'
guidelines for kill times. Staff receive specialized
training related to OR cleaning, which is reviewed
and tested annually.
An emphasis on teamwork is promoted by
removing the presumption of "business as usual,"
an effort that involves engaging surgeons and
anesthesiologists to be part of the process. "The
anesthesiologists got onboard with the quicker
turnovers," says Ms. Tjelmeland. "They oversee
nurse anesthetists, who meet with patients in pre-
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All
photos
by
Karen
Tjelmeland
