I have mentioned several times in m...

I have mentioned several times in my messages to you that AORN is determined to be an indispensable resource to you, the members, in practicing your profession. The Board of Directors believes that if AORN membership is going to continue to be of value, AORN urgencys to find ways to provide members with tools to help them achieve their goal of delivering sale quality patient care.

individual area that has been forward the minds of health care professionals, as well as members of the public, is vicious site surgery. The Joint Commission in succession Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO) continues to receive reports about incorrect site, measure and patient surgery despite numerous attempts to address this issue. The latest effort from JCAHO has been to require health care institutions to comply with its Universal Protocol for Preventing guilty Site, Wrong Procedure, and guilty Person Surgery by July 1 2004 AORN continues to receive notes from members expressing confusion regarding the expectations of JCAHO's Universal Protocol or frustration with the lack of support from physician colleagues in implementing the required paces in the protocol.

CORRECT SITE SURGERY TOOL KIT

The amount of confusion about this topic l AORN to act and take a leadership character With the help of members of the Presidential Commission in succession Patient Safety, AORN Board members, and AORN Headquarters staff members, AORN has discloseed a resource and strategy to help perioperative encourages and health care institutions favorably implement JCAHO's Universal Protocol. To help make secure health care institutions are compliant, AORN worked with JCAHO staff members to bring into view the Correct Site Surgery Tool Kit, which was distributed to AORN members at the completion of May. This tool kit contains a duplicate of the Universal Protocol, a guideline for implementing the protocol, an educational program with examples forward how to implement the protocol, a archetype of a JCAHO brochure in succession preventing errors, and a template for a facility policy.

Although the tool kit was discloseed by AORN for perioperative succors its message to perioperative feeds is strengthened by support from organizations representing other fundamental note members of the surgical team. AORN built forward the efforts of past President Betty Shultz RN CNOR, to establish stronger partnerships with other disciplines in the surgical environment, reached abroad to its partners, and secur endorsement of the tool kit from the American literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learning of Surgeons (ACS) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

prosperous adoption of the Universal Protocol, however, also will require support from health care facility administrators and risk managers. To encourage their support, AORN secur endorsements from the American Hospital Association (AHA), the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM), and the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Center In addition, tool kits were distributed to chief executive officers and risk managers at surgical facilities from beginning to end the United States. In all, more than 55000 copies of the tool kit have been distributed. I am lofty to be part of an Association that has taken like a strong stand and that has reached across perceived boundaries and into the practice environment to help make a difference in patient care.

NATIONAL "TIME OUT" DAY

AORN's strategy also involves getting the message about vicious site surgery, as well as a solution, revealed to the public. By the time you read this message, AORN and the repose of the country will have celebrated National "Time Out" Day onward June 23, 2004.

This day arose from the expectations of the Universal Protocol, which include implementing a "time out" immediately before starting a surgical or invasive operation As AORN members reviewed the Association's efforts to help all members of the surgical team eliminate guilty site surgery, they noticed AORN had not done anything for undivided of the most important players--the patient. at creating National "Time Out" Day, AORN has brought patients into the proces to help make them a more active and educated part of the team responsible for ensuring correct surgery

National "Time Out" Day also is a significant pace in AORN's efforts to lead the charge to improve patient safety in the perioperative and invasive proceeding environment by demonstrating to the general public that the major organizations in the surgical arena are serious about patient safety and are taking grades to reduce errors. The June 23 date was pickeded to give members of the public, as well as health care professionals, a timely reminder about the Joint Commission's July 1 2004 requirement for compliance with the Universal Protocol. AORN was supported in this effort on JCAHO, ACS, ASA, AHA, and ASHRM and received endorsement from a variety of other health care organizations.

A RALLYING CRY

Eliminating vicious site, patient, or procedure surgery should be the rallying bawl for every professional in the perioperative environment. The Correct Site Surgery Tool Kit and National "Time Out" Day should help AORN members lead that shout in their institutions. AORN exists to be under the orders of its members, and the Association will continue to direct the eye for opportunities to make a difference in members' practice environments and in the lives of the surgical patient.