O C T O B E R 2 0 1 5 O U T P A T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T 6 3
W
e were lucky.
Considering the
operating room
obstacle courses
our surgical
team faced on a daily basis, it was
extraordinarily fortunate that none of
them ever suffered a slip, trip or fall
injury. Now that we've remodeled our
ORs with on-the-job safety in mind, they
move effortlessly around the rooms.
Follow our lead by being proactive
about keeping your staff on their feet.
Navigating the minefield
Up until just a few years ago, the ORs
were the only rooms in the hospital that
were still original construction. They
were about one-third the size they are
now, and surgical technology had clear-
ly outgrown them, presenting several
major safety issues.
You can probably imagine the scene:
Take the necessary steps to reduce risks of slips, trips and falls.
Are Your ORs
Obstacle Courses?
Dondee Halverson, RN
Cherokee, Iowa
z UNPLANNED TRIP Don't let cords
and clutter endanger your employees.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
A small room hosting procedures that
demand significant equipment. Once
the bulky technology is rolled in and
plugged into the wall outlets, a jungle
of cords crisscrosses the room, creat-
ing obstacles for staff to step over, or,
