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Rather than plugging cords into wall outlets and draping them across the floor, think of ways to keep your equipment power cords off the floors. You can contain and bundle them on homemade hangers (tinyurl.com/mbsx4wn) or use suspended outlets and booms. A manager tells of an RN who fell and injured her back when she leaned over to plug something in rather than going around to the outlet. Another tells of having to remove the plug and covers that were installed in the original ORs because they weren't flush with the floor. "A plug in the floor stuck out and a scrub nurse tripped on it and fell," says a surgery center administrator. "She broke a finger and required surgery."
Others suggest plugging equipment in at the side of the table so that cords aren't trailing on the floor where there's foot traffic. If you do drape cords across the floor, you should conceal them. You can buy disposable cord covers or cover them with bath blankets. Remember that the more outlets you have, the shorter the cord length you'll need. The best alternative: wireless equipment that eliminates cords, such as increasingly popular wireless foot pedals for arthroscopic procedures.
3. Keep the lights on. Never turn all the lights off in the OR while surgery is being performed. In such low-lighting situations as cystoscopy or laparoscopy, make everyone in the room or entering the room aware of cords or trip hazards that may not be easily visible, says Jodie Biston, RN, BSN, OR circulator at the Florida Medical Clinic Ambulatory Services Center in Zephyrhills, Fla.
4. Keep everything in its place. Your ORs can be crowded spaces — there are people, furniture, equipment and cords to contend with. Keep pathways clear and reduce the clutter. Keep equipment that's not in use (C-arms and lasers, for example) against the wall and out of the traffic flow.
5. Protect patients. Issue patients well-fitting non-skid slippers (footies or slipper socks) on admission. If patients ambulate in the OR, a nurse should
