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D E C E M B E R 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
1. When to start?
About 25% of our survey respondents say they start turnover
when a patient is being aroused from anesthesia. At one facility,
they begin to gather such items as trash, instruments and equip-
ment while the patient is still in the room. Then once the patient
is wheeled out, the wiping, cleaning and mopping begins. Not so
fast, says AORN. An early jump on turnovers as a patient wakes
up may cut times, but it can harm patients, says Amber Wood,
MSN, RN, CNOR, CIC, perioperative nursing specialist for AORN.
"Cleaning before the patient leaves the room is a mistake," she
says. "That can be a negative effect to patient care. We really want
to focus on the patient in the room."
2. What to wear?
What employees wear matters as well. Staff should at least wear
gloves during turnover, but 11% of our survey respondents say
their turnover crews wear no PPE at all. There are 2 major risks
here, says Ms. Wood. First, a staff member could expose himself
to a harmful microorganism. Ms. Wood notes that an unprotected
employee could touch a surface he thinks is "clean" even though
it's not disinfected. Secondly, the chemicals of the cleaning solu-
tions pose a risk. Ms. Wood says AORN recommends facilities
look at the manufacturers' guidelines for PPE to wear while using
the solutions, noting that "almost all of the time, you'll see them
recommend wearing gloves."
Another thing to keep in mind is that OSHA requires personnel
to wear PPE based on the anticipated exposure. "So, if there's a
risk of splashing into the eyes, they should wear a mask and eye
protection," says Ms. Wood. "People don't think. They just reach
and grab a wipe."
R O O M T U R N O V E R
