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 A N U A R Y 2 0 1 7
I
t all comes
back to some-
thing that hap-
pened to one of our
own, who ended up
with nerve damage
due to improper
positioning during a
surgical procedure
at another surgery
center. In my role in
perioperative educa-
tion and staff devel-
opment at our cen-
ter, I focus on hands-
on skills in multiple
areas, including sur-
gical prepping, so
we know we are
doing everything we
can to avoid these
kinds of situations.
An example
would be teaching
how to properly
tuck the draw sheet
when the patient is
in the supine posi-
Tuck the Draw Sheet to Safely Secure Arms
Ideas Work
That
• TUCK RULE When patients are in the supine position, tuck the draw sheet between
the patient and the mattress to prevent the arm from falling off of the mattress and
potentially causing a nerve injury.
Kristi
Plank,
BSN,
RN,
CNOR
