1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7
T
he central ster-
ile room in our
small facility
sits adjacent to our 3
ORs, so members of
the surgical team have
easy access to needed
instruments. During
hectic times of the
schedule, however,
there's always the
potential for them to
grab items that have
been wrapped, but not
yet sterilized. That's
why we keep wrapped
instruments that are
waiting to be auto-
claved in a locked
storage cabinet. Every
member of the staff
knows the numerical code to the lock, which creates an extra step
and gives them time to stop and think before they inadvertently grab
unsterile instruments.
Nicole Sievert, RN, BSN
Granville Health System
Oxford, N.C.
nsievert@granvillemedical.com
STERILITY ASSURANCE
Lock Up Instruments Not Yet Autoclaved
Nicole
Sievert,
RN,
BSN
• SAFE AND SECURE Keep unsterile instruments behind closed doors to avoid mix-
ing sterile and unsterile items.
Ideas Work
That
