Operating Room Efficiency

[Link648099]

Hello everybody,

I'm a somewhat new nurse to the OR (just completed my 6-month internship in November) and working on personally becoming more efficient, and also seeking ideas on how to make the OR in general more efficient. I was hoping to get some input and advice from a more experienced pool of OR nurses on how your OR dealt with whatever inefficiencies it has had in the past.

For example, one of the inefficiencies we currently have is that we under-utilize our OR aides. We have them clean the rooms in between cases, along with a few other very minor jobs, but not much else. They don't make OR beds, they don't set up rooms or get equipment, and they rarely help in the room while the patient is there.

They are very capable, its just not something that's currently in their job description (but something I'm thinking of pushing to change.)

So what about ya'll? What experiences have ya'll had where your OR was inefficient in an area and implemented steps to improve on it? Was it successful? Or if your hospital is already very efficient, what makes it so? How do the cases flow? What's your individual workflow that helps overall efficiency? What roles do the board runners and managers play in keeping things running smoothly? What staff roles do you have that help?

Thanks!

[sandiegojames]

Getting more efficiency out of your operating room assistants would without question be the primary area I would focus on to start with. In our OR, the periOP assistants are responsible for checking in with the room staff and having the equipment for the next case ready. If we are switching from a regular OR bed to a Jackson table they have it made and ready to be put in the room as soon as it is cleaned after the case. There are a number of tasks they can accomplish and be accountable for. I'd recommend "Introduction of the Operating Room Assistant to the Surgical Environment", the book is a training guide for the operating room assistant covering things like OR set up, equipment identification, patient transport and lots of other stuff. Operating room assistants are the least expensive employees for the hospital but can have a significant impact on cost effectiveness.

[qtRN]

Wow, we have the same concerns with our OR aides and I would like to try and buy that book. Thank you for the suggestion.