6 2 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O C T O B E R 2 0 1 7
risks if the canisters throw off the nurses' balance or block their view of the
pathway to the disposal area.
Plan ahead
Take a few minutes before procedures start to assess the placement of cords
and equipment, along with the cases' expected workflows, in order to keep haz-
ards out of the walking pathways most often crossed by your staff, says Edward
Hernandez, RN, BSN, the operating room nurse manager at James A. Haley
Veterans Hospital in Tampa, Fla. He co-authored a September 2007 AORN
Journal report that focused on eliminating slip and trip hazards in the surgical
setting (osmag.net/5BJhKx).
"We used to meet every morning before the first case of the day for about 10
to 20 minutes to discuss the upcoming schedule. I've done away with that meet-
ing — if I have important information to pass along, I can always gather the
team in front of our whiteboard for a few minutes," says Mr. Hernandez. "My
idea for eliminating the meeting was to give my staff an extra 20 or so minutes
to focus on setting up ORs in the safest way possible. With the added time,
they're able to move tripping hazards out of harm's way, secure or cover cords
that can't be moved and ensure the equipment is set up and positioned to make
walking around the rooms easier and safer."
OSM
