Search

Communication breakdown is the leading cause of reported sentinel events in the perioperative setting. Barriers to optimal communication include noise, stress, multitasking, and rapid turnover between procedures. AORN has identified communication during personnel changes (ie, hand offs) as a point of vulnerability for the surgical patient. A standardized hand-off method provides an opportunity for personnel to ask and answer questions and should be available in the perioperative setting. At one facility, the standardization of hand-off reporting resulted in the development of new hand-off tools specific to the perioperative environment. A standardized reporting method enabled health care providers to address communication barriers and to maintain their focus on the patient during critical moments (eg, shift changes), thereby improving patient safety.

t some point in their lives, most people will undergo surgery or will have a loved one who undergoes surgery. Many of these patients and their family members will be unfamiliar with the perioperative environment and fearful about the surgical experience. It is important, therefore, to educate the public about the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases of surgery and to introduce them to the roles of the nurses who care for surgical patients during each of these phases. Each November, in celebration of Perioperative Nurse Week, nurses at Providence St Vincent Hospital, Portland, Oregon, host a tour of the preoperative unit, several ORs with mock surgical setups, and a mock postanesthesia care unit (PACU). In addition to educating the public about the surgical experience and helping to alleviate fears about surgery, the event can attract students not only to the nursing field, but also to the perioperative nursing specialty. This article provides guidelines for setting up an OR tour.

In conjunction with a large expansion project, a team of perioperative staff members reviewed their workflow processes and designed their ideal patient tracking and communication system. Technologies selected and deployed included a passive infrared tracking system, an enhanced nurse call system, wireless telephones, and a web-based electronic grease board. The new system provides staff members with an easy way to obtain critical pieces of patient information, as well as track the progress of patients and locate equipment.