ic sense and so that
he doesn't have to
reach to grab it.
Also, deliver the
sharp close to where
it will be used, so the
surgeon can imple-
ment it almost imme-
diately and without
excess hand move-
ments.
Constant communication
Do your surgeons and techs announce the passing of sharps during
each transaction? Needle back, needle up, sharp forward, sharp back.
That active dialogue increases the awareness of every team member, all
of whom need to always know where sharps are located within the sur-
gical field. Keeping safety practices consistent during every case makes
them hardwired events that become part of routine practice. Our surgi-
cal team members have told us that announcing the location of a sharp
has become as second nature as the pre-op time out.
Weekly safety audits
Randomly assign members of your surgical team to observe
sharps passing during actual cases. That will provide an accurate
assessment of how well your team is following safety protocols and
will also let staff members who perform the audits step outside of their
typical roles and observe interactions between their colleagues from a
different vantage point. Watching sharps exchanges as an outside
observer instead of an active participant provides a fresh perspective
4
3
Safety
S
2 0 • 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
• POINT TAKEN Stick sutures, the leading cause of sharps injuries, in sharps pads after use.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN
