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 • O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9
W
hen members of
the surgical
team at
University of Chicago (Ill.)
Medicine were getting
stuck with alarming regu-
larity, Amber Kratochvil,
MSN, RN, CNOR, was
determined to find out
why. "The injury rate was
astronomical, and the
injuries occurred across
the board — surgeons,
techs, nurses, residents,
medical students," says the
health system's periopera-
tive manager.
Ms. Kratochvil, who sits
on a committee that reviews and addresses safety issues in the sur-
gical department, developed detailed sharps injury reports, which
included specific body parts that were hurt and the circumstances
surrounding the incidents. She zeroed in on the cause of the injuries
by asking for feedback from members of the surgical team, who told
her surgeons were passing sharps unannounced and failing to shield
or protect needles before handing them back to nurses or techs.
Sound familiar? Those issues highlight the first of several methods
Outpatient Surgery Editors
5 Ways to Slash Sharps Injuries
Take a proactive approach to protect
surgeons and staff from sticks and cuts.
• MANY SAFE RETURNS Keep scalpels in a designated location after
use and cover the blades to protect staff members from accidental cuts.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
