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date all of your cases. Having enough inventory not only reduces the
need to flash, it also reduces stress and tension among staff. And if
you have a happy, cohesive, productive team, the workflow will be
smoother, and there will be fewer errors, less inefficiency, and a
reduced risk of infections or other problems. You'll be able to focus
on each patient that enters a department, instead of on how to cope
with a potential equipment shortage.
There's a good chance you'll even save money in the long run. By
striving to have the right equipment on hand, and in the right
amounts, we boost staff morale and productivity. We also reduce the
time wasted trying to manage equipment, and the downtime between
surgeries and, worse, downtime during surgery. We also do very little
flashing and — most importantly — we keep our patients safe.
7. Thin the herd in the OR
The more people there are in an OR, the more distractions there are
and the higher the risk is for contaminating the field and compromis-
ing air quality. Keep the number in the OR to the minimum you need.
And keep traffic in and out of the OR to a minimum. How? Make sure
the OR team and the charge nurse are empowered to manage traffic
and that they feel comfortable asking anyone who isn't needed to
please leave. Managing the number of vendors and visitors in the OR
requires continuous vigilance.
8. Plan for all eventualities
Have you ever had one of those days when some poor RN ends up
running ragged between the OR and the supply room, fetching prod-
ucts? Not only is it exhausting, it disrupts the clean airflow, which can
increase the risk of infection. Why does it happen? There are several
reasons: The case wasn't pulled accurately (which could be because
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