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S A F E T Y
may not be quite so simple as, 'Here it is, we're going to use it,'" says
Ms. Link. "But nursing staff are a little more understanding as to why
it's necessary. They do not want to be exposed to the smoke."
Education is key to ensuring routine use of evacuation devices and
complete compliance with employee safety guidelines, says Mr.
Scroggins. "It's all about getting the information in front of staff nurses." When his ORs were first outfitted with the devices, he worked
with facility educators to create bulletin board posters warning of the
hazards of surgical smoke, and encouraged nurses to research the
subject themselves, which built solid support for routine evacuator
use. As a result, "anecdotally, we've noticed less of that little cough
that OR nurses and techs have at the end of the day."
As with any new equipment, nurses and techs may need to scale a
learning curve at first to operate smoke evacuation devices.
Standardizing products and practices throughout your ORs and procedure rooms can help to smooth training and adoption, says Ms. Link.
Practice makes proficiency, adds Ms. Getlan, whose staff has learned
that longer cases are usually best served by evacuator tubes attached
to electrosurgical instruments, which free up nursing and tech hands
to hold other items.
Does the doctor know?
"I think there are people who still don't believe smoke is that bad,"
says Ms. Link. "Surgeons who have limited exposure to it may not rec1 1 2
O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | J A N U A R Y 2013
