1 4 • 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 • M A R C H 2 0 2 1
I
t's important to keep everyone on
your staff engaged and connected,
and fun group activities can help cre-
ate a sense of community among the team.
Try inviting members of your periopera-
tive department to submit unique T-shirt
designs and hold a group vote to decide
on which motto and logo will represent
the team for the upcoming year. Have the
T-shirts made and ask the winning design-
er to pass them out at a staff meeting.
You'll find the design contest will build
excitement among the team, and they'll
wear the shirts with a sense of pride.
Karen Tjelmeland, BSN, RN, CNOR
Banner Baywood Medical Center
Mesa, Ariz.
karen.tjelmeland@bannerhealth.com
DESIGN CONTEST
Custom T-shirts Build Team Camaraderie
STAFF-INSPIRED SAYINGS Members of the perioperative team at Banner Baywood Medical Center came
up with several inspirational messages.
Banner
Baywood
Medical
Center
PATIENT SATISFACTION
Don't Look Far for Helpful Facts
W
e created a custom handoff form that's
placed on top of each patient's chart to keep
staff abreast of pertinent information that's
not typically part of their medical record. In addition to
noting case start and stop times and patients' allergies,
we jot down quick notes about patients such as "hard of
hearing" or "fall risk." We also use the form to share
personal details. For example, when a nun was in for a
procedure, I made a note on the form to address her as
"sister." Patients pick up on this attention to detail dur-
ing our interactions and really appreciate it. Our staff
members also love the form, which has improved their
ability to find key information — no more digging
through a patient's chart — that leads to more efficient
and safer patient care.
Carson McCafferty, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM, CSRN
Eye 35 ASC
Schertz, Texas
carson@eye35asc.com
QUICK REFERENCE The hand-off form provides easy access to relevant
medical information and personal details about patients.
Carson
McCafferty
Ideas Work
That
