1 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U l y 2 0 1 6
H
ere's a smart, economical way to pull for a case. Place the
supplies a surgeon always uses in a plastic bin (labeled "use
items") and bag the supplies that have to be on hand just in
case they're needed (labeled "available items"). Bring both the bin and
the bag to the OR. That way nurses won't have to leave the room mid-
procedure to hunt down little-used supplies the surgeon ends up
requesting. At the end of the case, a nurse or tech can take the unused
bagged supplies back to central supply for restocking. Plus, any staff
member who helps to set up a case can easily tell which items should
be opened and which should remain in their packaging. If your physi-
cians' preference cards are up to date, this is a great way to stream-
line case set-up and ensure you don't open and waste unneeded items.
Nikki Williams, RN, CNOR
lakeland (Fla.) Surgical & Diagnostic Center
nwilliams@lsdc.net
Must-Have Supplies vs. Might-Need Supplies
• DIVIDE AND CONQUER Ireneanna Kavanaugh, RN, Lakeland Surgical's OR manager, reviews supplies separated into "use items" and "available items" categories.
Lakeland
Surgical
&
Diagnostic
Center
Ideas Work
That
