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SAFETY
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Run it like it's real. Set aside an hour one morning before cases start. Gather
staff beforehand to outline their roles in the emergency response and dis-
cuss how the drill should proceed. In each OR, point out where anesthetic
gases are turned off and who's responsible for doing so. Identify who'll grab
equipment and who'll prepare patients for transport. Identify who'll be responsible for securing the surgical schedule, staff list, and vendor and student signin sheets. That person should conduct a headcount in the agreed-upon meeting
area to ensure the ORs have been evacuated and that everyone is accounted
for.
Assign teams to each OR where they should "perform" specific cases. Let
them know exactly when the fire alarm will be pulled and where the "fire"
will be located. Have staff members lay on stretchers so their colleagues get a
feel for moving "patients" through the hall and around corners in a controlled
but urgent pace. Let staff know they must pull OR doors when the rooms are
evacuated.
Drills are dry runs, but instill a sense of seriousness to the proceedings. Your
BEFORE AND AFTER Set the scene before the drill (left) and discuss how things went afterward in the designated meeting area.
N O V E M B E R 2012 | 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
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