AtlantiCare Surgery Center
in Egg Harbor Township,
N.J., albeit with a slight
twist. Melissa Romeo, RN,
BSN, the facility's clinical
manager, says a pre-op
nurse refers to the surgical
consent to verify the surgi-
cal site — and confirms
the scheduled procedure
with the patient — before
noting "Yes" close to the
correct surgical site. The
operating surgeon then
signs his initials next to the
nurse's marking. "Our
patients never leave the
pre-operative area until that process is completed," says Ms. Romeo.
Just to be sure, the pre-op nurse checks off that she confirmed the
surgical site on a checklist that's taped to the front of the patient's
chart and signs the document before the patient can leave the area.
"Then the surgical team verbally confirms the correct site twice —
when the patient arrives in the OR, and again right before the first
incision is made," says Ms. Romeo.
Like these facility leaders, you must develop a standardized process
for marking the correct site — and follow it to the letter (of the sur-
geon's initials) before each and every case.
Eye on safety
Cataract surgery teams have it easy when it comes to marking the site
7 2 • 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
• INVISIBLE INK Reconfirm and re-sign the surgical site if prepping solu-
tion washes away the original markings or makes them difficult to see.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN,
CNOR
