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at Clearfield (Pa.) Hospital, says a staff member slipped and fell on a freshly mopped floor despite the presence of appropriate signage. The reason: She didn't have shoe covers on.
But shoe covers can be slippery. A better choice might be prescriptive leather-soled, skid-resistant shoes like the ones Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., recommends for its OR staff. The hospital spends about $30,000 each year on high-tech footwear, giving employees $40 to put toward the purchase of non-skid shoes that cost between $80 and $90. Thomas W. Kraus, MSN, RN, CNOR, clinical coordinator at Thompson Peak Hospital, estimates that three-fourths of the OR staff wear the skid-resistant
shoes. "Slips and trips were enough of a problem that we did have people fall and get hurt and have to get days off to recuperate," says Mr. Kraus.
"They're not very attractive, but they're comfortable," says Karla Lynch, BSN, RN, CNOR, Thompson Peak's spine surgery coordinator, of
the Mary Jane-style shoes with the Velcro strap. "Even when I walk on wet floors, I don't slip around. These shoes make a significant difference." OSM
E-mail
doconnor@outpatientsurg ery.net
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Bright orange adhesive strips now cover and tamp down the cords that lie on the floor.
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