If you want to better
your turnover times,
the first thing you
must do is get every-
one to agree to a sin-
gle definition. Think
of it as syncing your
watches.
If you don't have a
sense of your aver-
age turnover time,
get out your stop-
watch. Then figure out an appropriate goal for your facility. Too low of
a goal is not necessarily better. After all, you don't want to put your
patients at risk, and you don't want to drive your staff away. In fact,
this might be a good time to include your staff — ask them for their
opinion on a safe goal for turnover time. Staff who help decide a goal
for turnover time are likely to be invested in meeting that goal.
Now that you've settled on a definition and set a goal, you're ready to
put a plan into action. These tips might come in handy.
1. Start small. Don't try to change every OR at once. Choose an area
where similar cases are following one after another. If it's the same sur-
geon following himself, all the better, as one surgeon performing con-
secutive cases has been shown to positively affect turnover time.
Develop some success that you can then translate to other ORs.
Different doctors and specialties will have unique challenges.
2. Who's doing what? You need the right number of staff assigned
to clearly defined tasks to minimize any confusion about the turnover
J U N E 2 0 1 8 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 5 9
• DO YOUR JOB Clearly defined roles improves efficiency, but it also helps to create a
sense of teamwork among your turnover team.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
