National Time-Out Day at Naval Hospital Bremerton requires no referee, no whistle, and no stoppage of play.
Just routine adherence to patient-safety protocols.
National Time Out Day, officially recognized June 14 this year, is a Joint Commission and Association of periOperative Registered Nurses undertaking to raise awareness of practices that prevent wrong-site, wrong-side, wrong procedure or wrong-person surgery.
Everyone engaged in any surgery process is involved with every time-out, from doctor to nurse to anesthesiologist to surgical technologist.
NHB uses a ‘Surgical Safety Checklist,’ adapted from the World Health Organization’s ‘Surgical Safety Checklist,’ and the Joint Commission’s ‘Universal Protocol.’
As an example, in the OR, prior to the patient in the room, the team will huddle to go over such protocols as confirming that all team members are available and/or present and confirm that all required instruments and supplies are available.
The anesthesia provider will go over the plan of care, antibiotics to be used, and any possible concerns. The anesthesia provider will also conduct an anesthesia equipment safety check; confirm the pulse oximetry and other pertinent monitors are placed on the patient - and functioning properly - and that the time-out procedure is completed prior to the regional anesthetic administration.
Prior to the start of the procedure, there will the ‘Universal Protocol’ time out which has everyone stop what they are doing and focus on the timeout. The surgeon, anesthesia provider, OR nurse and surgical technologist will verbally confirm on a number of requirements, such as ensuring the patient understands the planned procedure, and that relevant images and results are labeled and available.
The surgeon will discuss the plan of action and go over any potential issues and special requests. The surgical technologist will go over the sterilized gear and any anticipated needs.
The nurse will wrap up the session with a follow-up synopsis of everyone’s input and comment on any concern. The entire open-ended discussion lasts approximately several minutes.
There is also another condensed time-out conducted – ‘60 seconds for safety’ – initiated by the circulating nurse after every surgical procedure is completed that gives everyone on the team a chance to share, and go over if there were issues about equipment, instrumentation, and even any concern on the patient’s recovery process.
Even before an individual case time-out, the Main Operating Room staff will hold a team huddle to go over the day’s surgical case load, including specific patient status – plus health issues if necessary – go over the procedures planned, contingencies in place, and instrumentation needed for the scheduled surgeries that day.
The National Time-Out Day is another tool for NHB’s Main Operating Room staff to ensure the commitment to patient-safety remains the norm (official Navy photos by Douglas H Stutz, NHB/NMRTC Bremerton public affairs officer).
| Date Taken: | 06.14.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.14.2023 15:21 |
| Photo ID: | 7860408 |
| VIRIN: | 230614-N-HU933-001 |
| Resolution: | 1280x720 |
| Size: | 283.34 KB |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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