nursecld

Thanks for the input...I have considered tapeing the door, but we also have 2 other doors into our OR, one is a direct link in to NICU and the other into our autoclave room....therefore no garrentee of sterlility. Our techs can set up fast, but it's those cases when they say set up...we do...then the strip improves or for what ever reason we decide to hold off....can be for a very long time. Chris

Jen, Does that ever become a problem for you with your tech. personel being tied up in a room for an extended period of time? Also do you mind me asking what hospital do you work at?

Hi I am looking for some info. I know that covering of OR tables is forbidden...need to be watched, but in the Labor and Delivery setting, this can be very difficut. We at times have to set up our C/S tables then for an extended period of time...some times 5-6 hours, we wait because things change with the fetal monitor strip, or she makes cervical changes. How do we handle this situation from an infection control standard, since tieing up a tech for 2-5 hours is unreasionable and breaking the table down is not cost efficient. Any sugestions or guidelines I can go to for this problem? Thanks.

I have worked at several hospitals in my nursing career, all in L/D. It seems this is always an issue. OR standards dictate that once you open a table for surgery, it is never to be covered and left unattended. That gets a little more complicated for L&D, since we may be sitting on a FM strip that has the potential to go bad quick. I would like to find out how other hospitals handle this situation in their units. I would also love if anyone has any documented guidlines for covering C/S tables....something to use for policy making. Thanks.