Observer in the Operating Room?

[tiffcrn, ADN, BSN, MSN, RN, EMT-B]

My facility has a loose policy regarding observers in the operating room and I am working on a new process. I have recently accepted the Educator position for our Main OR, OSC, and Cath Lab. The current process falls on the Educator coordinating all visitors and it has become so overwhelming I don't have time for actual education. In the past week I have put together some data regarding infection control, OR traffic, and patient safety. Then I also have been coordinating an algorithm to direct the flow of visitors and who is responsible for them. I guess my questions are....

Who facilitated your organizations observations?

What documents are required for observers? Outside the facility? Internal Employees?

Are observers placed on the OR schedule?

Is there any information out there that I may be missing that can assist me in this endeavor?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

We recently severely restricted who is allowed to observe in the OR where I work, particularly in cardiac surgery. We had been seeing infection rate spikes, and many of these observers did not have a need to be observing. We now only allow those whose job involves caring for certain patient populations to shadow for a day in the OR as part of their orientation. We do not allow high school students exploring careers to visit during actual surgeries (we have a weekend open house instead), prospective students (medical, pharmacy, etc), and nursing students are only permitted in certain specialties.

What is required for non-employees: there is paperwork to be filled out, HIPAA education to be completed, and approval must be granted by the nurse manager of the OR, the chief of the surgical specialty, and the chief of surgery. So if someone wanted to observe vascular surgery, that person must get approval from the OR nurse manager, the chief of vascular surgery, and the chief of surgery, who is also the chief of cardiac surgery. This person is the responsibility of the person who requests the observation, whether it's a surgeon, PA, anesthesiologist, etc.

What is required for employees: verification that the person does indeed have a role in caring for patients immediately postop (such as an ICU RN who is beginning orientation to open heart recovery- the ICU nurse manager must request the observation day). A brief education of the OR environment: required attire, sterile vs. unsterile, etc.