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settle, that someone will suggest the extra little movement or tweak that places
the patient in perfect position," says Dr. Crabtree.
And constantly look for ways to improve your positioning practices, he suggests. "The way you've always done it isn't necessarily the best way, and it may
not give you the best access," he says.
Assess patients' comorbidities, height and weight, and double-check that the
required positioning equipment is available and operational so you don't end up
canceling cases or pushing forward with suboptimal positioning.
Surgeons at WVUH note special positioning requests and positioning equipment needs on scheduling cards turned in to the surgical department 24 hours
before cases. Surgeons, anesthesia providers and the nursing staff huddle each
morning to review the surgical schedule and plan for special positioning equipment needs so staff isn't scrambling minutes before procedures are scheduled to
start.
Even though surgeons prefer to use the same table frames or positioning aids
for specific procedures, the days of operating on "typical" patients are over, says
Mr. Bowers. "They aren't the same anymore," he explains. "Treat each patient as
an individual with unique positioning needs." OSM
E-mail dcook @outpatientsurg ery.net.
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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 2014
