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A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
from anesthesia to RNs to techs to nurse's aides," says Kathleen
Tafoya, RN, the clinical nurse manager of the Saginaw (Mich.) Valley
Endoscopy Center.
Today's ORs aren't sitting idle for very long between cases. Of the 84
facilities we surveyed, 25 reported sub-10-minute turnover times, 21
reported 10- to 15-minute turnovers and another 14 said they were ready
for the next patient in 15 to 20 minutes. Not bad. But you're not alone if
you wouldn't mind seeing your ORs turned over a minute or 2 faster.
(Note: We define turnover as the time from patient-out to patient-in.)
"There is always room for improvement," says Danielle DeWolfe,
BSN, the clinical manager of the Surgery Center of Chevy Chase
(Md.). "Yes, they could always be better," adds Beth Herring, RN,
MSN, CNOR, the OR educator at River Oaks Hospital in Jackson,
Miss., who says managers shouldn't be afraid to pitch in by mopping a
room, making a bed or removing dirty bags. "Work waits for no one.
Everyone's hand fits a mop."
Maureen Simpson, CNOR, the nurse manager of the OR and PACU at
the Rye (N.Y.) Ambulatory Surgery Center, agrees that you should all
lend a hand. "On busy patient days I try to put the administrative part
of my job aside and stay in the OR to facilitate the turnovers," she says.
Most of our survey respondents are either "very satisfied" (40.5%) or
"somewhat satisfied" (41.7%) with their turnover times. For 17.8% of
respondents, room turnover is a problem, sometimes taking so long
that the surgeon is delayed (and dismayed).
The pit crew of surgery
The turnover team is the pit crew of surgery, the hustling housekeep-
ers who rush in after the patient's been sutured shut and wheeled out
to ready the room for the next case. Armed with mops, spray bottles,
trash bags and fresh linens, they're in and out in a matter of minutes,
T U R N O V E R