Prevent mistakes during surgery. Make sure your staff is prepared. Here are steps that your staff must go over to ensure they’ve followed every step in the process.
Ask for Confirmation
Before anything else, staff must ask the patient to confirm their identity, site, and procedure they’re set to undergo. The staff must also get the patient’s consent for the procedure.
Mark the Site
The surgical site must be marked before surgery starts.
Perform Checks
The anesthesia equipment and medication must be checked out next. Are there any issues with both? If there are any visible signs of damage to the machine, or the medication isn’t complete, the staff must replace the machine or any of the medication that’s missing.
Check for Allergies
Has the patient demonstrated an allergic reaction to the medication before? That matters. They might be allergic to one of the medications to be used during the procedure. That’s why the patient’s medical history must be read and examined by the staff before the procedure and even before any anesthesia is administered.
Ask About Medication
Is the patient taking any warfarin? What about the last INR result? When was that taken? Maybe the patient is taking tamsulosin or another alpha-blocker? The surgeon needs to be notified to adjust the medication assigned, or that will be used for the procedure.
Identify Any Special Requirements
The surgeon must also check if any special equipment requirements need to be used for the process. Given the standard procedure, are there any variations expected?
Address Concerns
For anesthetists in charge of sedation, they must determine if there are any specific concerns or worries of the patient. They must find a way to provide answers to put those worries to rest. The best healthcare staff combines competency with compassion. They need to know how to directly address patients’ concerns. Taking the time to go over the procedure or reassure patients is an essential part of the process.
Sterilize the Instruments
For the nurses, they must check the sterility of the instruments. Are there any issues or concerns with the equipment? They should check for any damage and have the machines replaced for the surgery.
Confirm with the Team
The surgeon needs to confirm with the team the name and side of the procedure to be recorded, the instruments, as well as swabs and sharps counts. Are they complete?
These are just some of the steps for eye surgery. To ensure the proper steps are followed, think about having a checklist printed out and installed at your facility.
