J U N E 2 0 1 6 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 5
process, a sterile core tech can pull the next case for them and a nurs-
ing attendant can take away the cart that's been left outside the door.
Also, the charge nurse can return medications to storage, pick up
specimens and be the link that lets pre-op know when an OR is ready
to receive a patient. Also, there's no waiting for the CRNA or resident
to obtain the next patient's consent when the attending anesthesia
provider has gone to get it, and (with the help of a nurse attendant) to
roll the next patient back. We've even built each person's breaks into
the process.
Using your turnover time and turnover staff in an interlocking, col-
laborative process will let you deliver care to more patients during the
day and use OR time more cost-effectively with the resources you
already have. By using this approach, we've reduced our turnover
time to 28 minutes
from an all-time aver-
age high of 39 min-
utes.
Stephanie Rico,
RN, CNOR, CST
Lyndon B. Johnson
General Hospital
Houston, Texas
stephanie.rico
@harrishealth.org
