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tle, but just the right amount. While we don't recommend soaking cleaning rags
in solution, it's also not a good idea to use too little disinfectant. Just because
you wipe a surface doesn't mean you cleaned it. Surfaces will take longer than
necessary to dry if you apply too much disinfectant. Educate staff why dry times
matter and that you're defeating the purpose and reducing the cleaner's effec-
tiveness if you dry off the disinfectant yourself to speed up the process. Let it
evaporate on its own so that it can do its job.
4. Let staff focus on the job at hand. Resist the temptation to
pull a member of your turnover team away from cleaning a room so that he can
transport a patient, move a piece of equipment or take a specimen to the lab.
Distractions can lead to surfaces not being cleaned. Let them stay on task and
fulfill their role in the process. Empower your OR assistants to tell a colleague,
"I'm cleaning Room 6. You need to answer all calls. I'll let you know when I'm
done. "
Similarly, right-size your turnover team. The more people on your turnover
team, the less control you have. If you have 5 people showing up to turn over a
room where a clean procedure like a carpal tunnel just took place, chances are
someone will be standing there waiting to open a pack long before it's time to
do so. On the other hand, your turnover team's just as likely to pass over less-
critical surfaces like phones and keyboards during big case turnovers. That's
because there's so much to be done: more trash to be removed and more pieces
of equipment to roll out and clean. Like so many things, the devil's in the details.
Educate your team about why they're doing things in the order they're doing
them in — and why it's important.
5. Hold monthly meetings with your OR assistants. Like
us, you'll learn a lot from those who are on the front lines: their chal-
lenges, their understanding of the jobs. For example, each member of our
turnover team seemed to have a different definition of terminal cleaning.
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