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R
etained foreign objects were the most fre-
quently reported adverse event between
2015 and 2017, according to The Joint
Commission. We decided to tackle this issue head
on by developing a custom count board at our
surgery center that could be used in all of our
health system's outpatient facilities. Here are the
key elements that make it an effective way to
keep track of every sponge, needle, burr and
blade used during surgery.
• Frontline feedback. A number of periopera-
tive nurses and certified surgical technologists
came together to modify our health system's inpa-
tient count worksheet into a custom dry erase
Create Your Own Count Board
The customized tool helps staff keep track of items used during surgery.
Safety
Jillian Bowers, BSN, RN, CNOR
VISUAL AID Kristina Kostka, BSN, RN, CNOR (left), and Kelley Thompson, BSN, RN, CNOR, stand by a standardized count board in use at one of Michigan Medicine's four
surgery centers.
Jillian
Bowers
