lenses. Before, some staff would pick
10 or 15 lens orders at a time, while
others would pull all the orders and
start wrapping them. Now we concen-
trate on 1 lens order at a time: You pick
the lens, sign off that you picked it and
then you wrap it. That way, you're
focused on 1 implant at a time and can
concentrate on 1 lens order at a time.
• Make the person the red zone. We
pick lenses in the middle of a hallway
between cases in the middle or at the
end of the day. There are cases going
on. The OR corridor is buzzing with
conversation. We can't make the OR corridor a "red zone," but we
can make the person picking lenses be a red zone by having her
wear a red bouffant that signifies she's in a quiet zone and you're
not to disturb her for any reason while she's picking lenses.
• Red zone verification. We take nurses who are verifying lenses 24
to 48 hours before surgery out of the corridor if we can and set them
up in a medication room or an empty OR so they can work in quiet.
• Be engaged. When you're doing more than 5,000 cataract cases a
year, it's easy to go through the motions. When the surgeon checks the
stamp that says the lens picked matches the lens ordered, he signs it.
But does he read it? We stress the importance of being fully engaged in
what you're doing.
OSM
Ms. Fitzpatrick (kfitzpatrick@gardencitysurgicenter.com) is the executive
director at the Garden City (N.Y.) SurgiCenter. She's also a surveyor for the
Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care.
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N TS U R G E R Y. N E T • 3 7
• SOLE FOCUS Staff now pick one lens order a
time. After they pick the lens, they wrap it with a
signed order sheet, as shown here.
Kelly
A.
Fitzpatrick,
RN,
BSN,
MBA