tions to the surgical department manager, a safety officer or facility
administrator, who can conduct formal coaching or require staff mem-
bers to complete online sharps safety-training modules.
The point is to learn from the real-time observations of your team's
sharps-handling practices and use the opportunities to improve your
safety efforts. Our audits revealed surgeons often retracted anatomy
manually during open procedures instead of using instruments
designed to do the job. That practice put their hands in harm's way
and increased their risk of getting stuck. It took a great deal of coach-
ing and reminders to change that dangerous habit.
OSM
Ms. Gilligan (marypat_gilligan@trihealth.com) is the director of perioper-
ative services at TriHealth's Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Safety
S
2 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 7
Use this checklist before proce-
dures begin to ensure sharps
are properly managed during
surgery.
• Is the surgeon right- or left-
handed?
• Is the neutral zone selected
and identified?
• Are safety scalpels
available?
• Are appropriate
retractors available?
• Have unnecessary sharps been
eliminated from the field?
• Are team members aware of
the sharps to be used during
the case?
• Will team members commu-
nicate about the location of
sharps?
• Are alternative wound closure
devices such as blunt-tip
sutures available?
Source: AORN Sharps Safety
Toolkit (osmag.net/tfhyt5)
PRE-OP PRECAUTION
One Last Check on Sharps Safety
