What are you using for sponge counters

ewattsjt · Aug 18, 2007

We use the same as you currently do.

shodobe · Aug 19, 2007

Same all the places I go to. I don't think you will find it any different anywhere else.

crackerjack · Aug 20, 2007

same here...

mikethern · Aug 21, 2007

I worked at Stanford University Hospital a few years ago. They took used laps and wrapped them in their original blue wrappers and put them in the kick bucket during the case. You had no way of seeing how many laps were in each pack. Very weird.

crackerjack · Aug 21, 2007

We have one nurse at our facility who hates the sponge counters and will lay out a blue wrapper from an instrument case or whatever and roll individual laps and lay them out in a grid on the floor. It takes up a huge amount of space for a large case but it does give an immediate visual for the tech. With our very old, outdated OR, it is impractical as we are woefully short of floor space for equipment and BODIES. Being a teaching facility, there are so many people in the room that it's often a struggle to find a place for them all so throwing sponges out on the floor is not on my list of options.

ewattsjt · Aug 21, 2007

we have one nurse at our facility who hates the sponge counters and will lay out a blue wrapper from an instrument case or whatever and roll individual laps and lay them out in a grid on the floor. it takes up a huge amount of space for a large case but it does give an immediate visual for the tech. with our very old, outdated or, it is impractical as we are woefully short of floor space for equipment and bodies. being a teaching facility, there are so many people in the room that it's often a struggle to find a place for them all so throwing sponges out on the floor is not on my list of options.

some did this a few years ago where i worked but policy was changed that prohibits using the floor as a counter. i can't remember exactly who did a study that suggested against it.... anyway that is why our policy was changed. it was because of the recommendation from the organization because of the study.

mcmike55 · Aug 23, 2007

Currently we are using a semi-funnel shaped wire skeleton type basket, that sits on top of a 4 wheel stand. I kind of like it because it's easy for the tech to hit, and I don't have to bend over to get the tapes out. When we got the baskets, there were bags, with pockets, I think, to use with them. After a while, we just went to using a standard plastic bag, trash can liner. They are clear, they fit, they're cheap, and never on back order!

We are talking about trialing a bag with pockets to keep the tapes in for counting purposes. I'm not so sure about them. I suspect they're ok, but I see myself digging through the pockets for two sponges that was originally counted as one!

I'm one of those "old school" nurses, that uses an old drape sheet on the floor to spread tapes out on. Floor space is not too much of an issue, and I typically only do it for really big cases.

Hope that helps.

Mike

USA987, MSN, RN, NP · Aug 23, 2007

We use a kick bucket lined with a trash bag (not red...so the laps/raytecs don't blend in). Then we put them on a blue chuck. Once there are 5 laps we count with the scrub and then fold them up....

I've used the hanging pockets before and didn't care for them because it was easy to accidentally put two in one and the pockets separated easily. One nice thing though was that it was easy for anesthesia to visual for the EBL.

TracyB,RN, RN · Sep 5, 2007

Wow... we don't have any cool stufff

No computer charting, no sponge counters... I wonder what else we don't have.

I wrap the used laps in the blue plastic but only after I count off 5 to my scrub.

Keeps my count current & the room a bit neater.

Plus, we don't have another system ,unless you want to rush around at the end of a case trying to count a jillion sponges.

mikethern · Sep 5, 2007

Wow... we don't have any cool stufff
No computer charting, no sponge counters... I wonder what else we don't have.

You're lucky. Computer charting sucks. I prefer paper charting because I can start charting before the patient is in the room or while I am helping the anesthesiologist intubate. With computer charting, the computer becomes a ball and chain.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Sep 5, 2007

A paper sheet on the floor lol.