5 4 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • A P R I L 2 0 1 7
A
s a circulating nurse, I'm very conscientious about how I
position my patients. After they go to sleep, I am their
protector and their voice. It is my job to make sure not
only that the surgeon has unobstructed access to the sur-
gical site, but also that the patient remains positioned correctly and
comfortably throughout the surgery. Patients are in jeopardy if we
give more thought to access than to safety when we position them.
Plus, we know that many medical negligence cases are pursued as a
result of patient positioning injuries, such as nerve damage, palsy, skin
breakdown and pressure ulcers. We can easily avoid these injuries if
we take appropriate precautions, such as those you'll see in the pho-
tos illustrating proper technique over the following pages.
OSM
A pictorial depicting proper techniques to
ensure surgical access and patient safety.
Emily Schaub, RN, BSN | Traverse City, Mich.
Safe Patient Positioning:
A Photo Essay
Photos by Pamela Bevelhymer, RN, BSN
Ms. Schaub (eschaub@surgerytc.com) is a
circulating nurse at Northwest Michigan Surgery Center in Traverse City, Mich.