Our nurses observed our turnover teams in action and referred to
AORN's recommended practices for environmental cleaning in the
OR. We then developed a customized turnover checklist and hung
dry-erase versions in each OR. The checklist notes tasks that must
be completed — remove dirty linens, wipe down surfaces and empty
kick buckets, among several other responsibilities — and includes
blank areas where circulating nurses jot down equipment that must
be removed from the room, equipment that's needed for the next
case, equipment positioning requirements based on room laterality
and special cleaning instructions. Staff members check the boxes
and initial completed tasks, so their teammates know what's been
done and what's still left to do. We were surprised that the check-
lists didn't dcrease our turnover times, but they did make turnovers
more organized, and that's what matters most to our hardworking
team.
Tara Buck, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSM
Teri Stanford, MSN, INS, RNBC, CNOR, CSSM
St. David's South Austin (Texas) Medical Center
tara.buck@stdavids.com
tjstanford@icloud.com
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