planning stages.
No mixed messages
Not surprisingly, for malignant hyperthermia drills, the staff does
much more than just go through the motions.
"We have the staff actually draw up the dantrolene, so they can see
how hard it is to do," says Mr. Stanford. "That way, if an actual emer-
gency ever happens, they'll realize it's going to take some effort to mix
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 4 1
the safety checks are laminated warning labels on anesthesia
carts to warn caregivers when a change in practice might change
the way medications are administered, and a strict "quiet policy"
in the OR, during the critical periods of intubation and extubation.
• Safety is Job #1. An "open, honest, non-punitive working envi-
ronment where all team members have a voice and learn from
one another," is a foundational component of optimal patient
safety at HonorHealth-Thompson Peak Medical Center in
Scottsdale, Ariz., says Monica L. Heyn, MSN, RN, CNOR, Peak's
perioperative education coordinator.
Facility leaders help make sure staff get the ongoing education
they need, via regular in-services, monthly staff meetings and
educational conferences. HonorHealth also sponsors a growth,
recognition and reward program called HonorNurse.
Patient safety is at the forefront from the moment staff arrive. At
the beginning of every shift, staff must perform 3-minute scrubs.
From there, carefully thought-out safety regimens include time outs
before regional blocks, having no breaks during total joint cases,
debriefings after surgery and SBAR (situation, background, assess-
ment, recommendation) reporting for all handoffs in both pre-op and
PACU. — Jim Burger
