J A n U A R Y 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 3
P
ut your
count
boards on
wheels so staff can
place them where
they can be easily
seen throughout the
case and pushed out
of the way as need-
ed. The downside of
hanging count
boards on OR walls
is that staff can't see
them from all areas
of the room during the
numerous equipment configurations we use for different procedures.
We used letter stickers and black art tape to standardize the format
of the boards. We designated areas for staff to note the counts of
sponges, instruments and tools, and we left blank spaces at the bot-
tom of the board where they can mark the counts of objects unique to
a particular case. Cover each board with a clear plastic overlay so
staff don't scuff the formatting when repeatedly marking down and
erasing counts.
Janelle Anderson, MSN, RN
Mercy Medical Center
Baltimore, Md.
janderso@mdmercy.com
VISUAL AID
Wheeled Count Boards Reduce Risk of Retained Objects
• MOBILE UNITS Moveable white boards increase visibility of items used during sur-
gery and promote count awareness.
Janelle
Anderson,
MSN,
RN
