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O U T P AT 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 | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 5
D
uring laparo-
scopic and
robotic proce-
dures, we place GYN
patients in lithotomy with
their arms tucked at their
sides. When placing the
warming blanket, most
people just tuck it under
the mattress. Sometimes
this doesn't secure the
blanket and it pops out
during the procedure. At
that point, the circulating
nurse has to duck under
the drapes and attempt to
re-secure the blanket. This
can be complicated by the
position of the robot.
Instead of tucking the
blanket under the mat-
tress, I tuck it under the
cassette platform and
secure it with the perforated ties to the posts. It won't pop out, and it
may actually keep the warm air circulating under as well as over the
patient.
Alice Morrison Martin, RN, BSN
Brigham and Women's Hospital
I D E A S T H A T W O R K
B L A N K E T S E C U R I T Y
Tie Warming Blankets to Bed Posts
z NO TUCK Wrapping the pull strips of the forced hot air blanket
around the little pegs on the side rails holds the blanket in and out of
the surgeon or robot's way.
Alice
Morrison
Martin,
RN,
BSN
Boston, Mass.
amartin19@partners.org