Strategies for Preventing Distractions and Interruptions in the OR

Stakeholders in the automotive industry, airline industry, and anesthesia profession have identified critical periods of time in which distractions and interruptions of normal processes can have devastating effects. Just as reducing distractions improves safety in an automobile or airplane cockpit, limiting distractions and interruptions during critical times in the perioperative setting can increase patient safety. We assessed perioperative nurses and identified what they perceived as critical phases of nursing care. We also worked with our anesthesia partners to address their concerns about interruptions during the administration of nerve blocks. The perioperative nurses at our hospital initiated strategies to reduce distractions or interruptions to their practice at critical points, and, in collaboration with surgical committee members, we developed strategies to reduce or eliminate distractions for anesthesia professionals during the preoperative administration of nerve blocks and to eliminate distractions for the RN circulator and scrub person during the final counts.     

Patient Blood Management: Use of Topical Hemostatic and Sealant Agents

Patient blood management is the scientific use of safe, effective medical and surgical techniques designed to conserve blood, prevent anemia, decrease bleeding, and optimize coagulation in an effort to improve patient outcomes. Perioperative and primary care nurses play a vital role in promoting and making the best use of patient blood management and can play a key role in implementing effective strategies that decrease or eliminate patient exposure to allogeneic blood. The fast and effective minimization of intraoperative bleeding is integral in an effective blood management program. Topical hemostatic and sealant agents can be used to improve blood conservation, reduce overall procedure time, and contribute to faster patient recovery based on specific clinical situations. The proper selection of hemostatic agents can greatly influence the patient’s clinical outcomes.