for the scrub nurse."
22. "Compartmentalize." Surgeons can also save time by finishing
everything they have to do in one compartment before moving on to
the next one, says Christopher V. Bensen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in
Boone, N.C. "If I'm working on a microfracture, I'm going to do every-
thing I need to do in the medial compartment, before I move on to
another compartment and have to change the patient's position."
23. Don't open supplies until they're needed. You'll reduce costs
(and increase profits) if you wait for surgeons to ask for sutures or
shavers.
24. Keep "mid-level" hands on deck. "Some PAs or nurse practition-
ers think they're surgeons," says Ms. Krokoff. "They want to go have a
cup of coffee between cases. Not here. Here, they finish one case and
walk directly into the next OR, where they're expected to help with
prepping and positioning."
25. Minimize the supplies you use. Setup and turnover are quicker
if you don't insist on fancy equipment, says Dr. Bensen. "I use gravity
for fluids instead of a pump," he says, "and I use a post — a padded
bar — on the side of the operating table instead of a bulky leg holder.
It takes about 15 seconds to set it up."
26. Customize trays for surgeons. "I have one very basic knee
arthroscopy tray that has all the basic instruments I need for the vast
majority of my cases," adds Dr. Bensen. "I also have a little cart that
has all the implants and tools I'd normally use for meniscus repair,
ACLU reconstruction or microfracture." Roll that one cart into the OR
and the circulating nurse's job gets much easier. "She doesn't have to
run around looking for stuff, because 99% of what I'm going to need is
on that one cart," he says.
27. Manage fluid waste
efficiently. Less cleaning means faster turnover. Having an automat-
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