A time-out tool helps to improve compliance at the patient's bedside
The highest priority of any health care provider is to ensure patient safety. The single most important tool for preventing errors is the ability to communicate. According to the Joint Commission, the number one cause of sentinel events is a breakdown in communication among the surgical team, patient, and family.…
Debriefings are an early-warning system
A nurse goes to the refrigerator to get blood for an evening case, only to find it has already been taken back to the blood bank. A set is missing the same instrument for the second time this week. There have been problems with timely delivery of blood units for…
Nurses, physicians get behind effort to introduce preoperative briefings
A unified effort by physician and nurse leaders to introduce preoperative briefings has helped boost perceptions of OR safety at a Colorado hospital. The briefings, held right before the incision, are an expanded timeout that allows the team to check critical information and establish an atmosphere of open communication. Preop…
Support for staff when things go wrong
The patient had come to the OR for joint replacement surgery. Though she had a complicated medical history, there was no reason to believe she would have serious problems. But during the surgery, things went wrong, and despite everyone's efforts, the patient died. It hit the team hard, including the…
Timeout: It's as easy as apple pie!
The timeout protocol is an essential step before any invasive procedure to prevent wrong site, wrong procedure, and wrong person surgery. The pause also allows for the antibiotic to be given and charted, implants to be checked for accuracy, and equipment to be assessed for functionality. The timeout protocol is…
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