Correct patient.
Correct procedure.
Correct site.
Every time.
That's the message HUP Perioperative nursing spread last month during National Time Out Day, reminding the hospital staff of the vital importance of performing a 'Time Out' before each and every procedure.
This interactive assessment assures that all team members participating in a procedure – whether it’s in the OR, on a patient unit, or in an ambulatory service – have verified that all patient information is relevant and accurate.
“We have to ensure that a patient is safe before doing any procedure,” said Deborah Driscoll, MD, chair of OB/GYN.
Like a referee calling a time out in a game, the designated nurse on the procedure team initiates the process, and everyone must listen. “We need a hard stop, where all activity ceases and all participants agree,” said Marie Zubko, BSN, a nurse manager on Perioperative Services. “If something is not right, it’s fixed, and then the team does another time out before proceeding.”
Zubko said that time outs also focus on nonpatient elements of a procedure. “Do we have the correct x-ray? Is it posted correctly [ie, properly oriented]? Do we have all the right equipment?”
Members of Perioperative nursing handed out information on National Time Out Day to help increase awareness of the extensive measures HUP is taking to ensure patient safety. They also asked people to sign a board declaring ‘I commit to support time out for every patient, every time and handed out buttons that say Ask Me about Time Out. “We want to empower patients as well,” Zubko said.
Disseminating the time out message did not end with the one-day event. Nursing will go from unit to unit, educating staff and emphasizing the initiative’s importance. Part of the internal ‘road show’ will include showing a video that Perioperative Nursing Unit Council created detailing exactly what must take place during a time out.
“Patient safety is our highest priority,” said Victoria Rich, PhD, chief nurse executive -- UPMC. “We are committed to performing a time out before each and every procedure we perform.”
To view the video and learn more about Time Out, go to the HUP Nursing Intranet and click on Time Out Video under What’s Hot.
