STAFF & PATIENT SAFETY
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O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 • O UTPATIENT SURGERY .NET • 1
To Our Readers
For surgical facility leaders, the importance of safety — for both patients and staff — cannot be
overstated. That's why we dedicated an entire resource to this critical topic. In this issue of
Special Edition Staff & Patient Safety, you'll find a true tale of a staff that stepped up in the face of an MH crisis and a blue-
print on how to make your ORs smoke-free. You'll also find best practices on electrosurgery safety and proven tips on
avoiding retained objects and sharps and pressure injuries. We hope you use the advice and insights on the following
pages to protect your staff so they can continue to safely care for their patients.
Cover design by Ethan Anderson | Photo by Victoria Wiltshire, MBA, RN
o u t p a t i e n t s u r g e r y . n e t
22
4 On Point
Safe Spaces
Jared Bilski | Managing Editor
6 Smoke-Free Is the Way to
Be
Lessons learned from our facility's journey to
clear the OR air.
Ashlea Blevins, BSFC, BSN, RN, CNOR
11 Keys to
Site-Marking Success
Consistent protocols and a transparent work
environment will prevent wrong-site surgeries
at your facility.
Edward Pollack, MD
14 Close Out Cases
With
Sharps Safety in Mind
Focus on human factors to prevent needlesticks
during surgery's critical last step.
Barbara DiTullio, DNP, RN, MA, CNOR, NEA-BC
18 High-Tech Sponge Detection
This reassuring technology ensures no item is left
behind after the surgeon closes the incision.
Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor
22 We Stopped an MH
Crisis in Its Tracks
Quick thinking and a well-trained staff allowed us
to identify and prevent a malignant hyperthermia
event in just nine minutes.
Carlos A. Ibarra Moreno, MD, PhD, DESA
28 7
Keys to Reducing Pressure Injuries
Protect vulnerable areas during surgery to make
sure patients leave with their skin intact.
Sue Creehan, MSN, RN, CWON
33 When Electrosurgery Becomes
Too Hot to Handle
Energy-carrying instruments are powerful tools,
but awareness remains low about how to prevent
catastrophic errors while using them.
Joe Paone | Senior Associate Editor
37 Keep Floors Clear and Dry
Eliminate tripping and slipping hazards in the OR
to keep staff upright and safe.
Dan Cook | Editor-in-Chief
41 Ad Index
42 'Goof-Proof'
ORs Need Time,
Care & Resources
Q&A with Robert Wachter, MD, the physician
who literally wrote the book on patient safety.
O c t o b e r 2 0 2 0
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