As part of AORN's commitment to pat...

As part of AORN's commitment to patient safety, AORN's "Correct Site Surgery Tool Kit" was mailed exempt of charge to all members, facility chief executive officers (CEOs) and risk managers at the close of April 2004. The tool kit has received endorsement from the American community of Surgeons, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, the American Hospital Association, and the American Association of Ambulatory Surgery Center In addition, staff members of the Joint Commission forward Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) provided valuable support to AORN in developing the tool kit.

The tool kit contains critical and concise information to help facilities implement JCAHO's Universal Protocol for Preventing sinful Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong somebody Surgery. The protocol includes a preoperative verification proces a proces to mark the intended site of the measure and a time-out immediately before the process commences to verify the correct patient; procedure; and site, including laterality.

disentangleed by AORN and produced subordinate to an educational grant from Sandel Medical Industries, Inc, the tool kit contains

* a duplicate of the JCAHO Universal Protocol and Guidelines for Implementation;

* a CD-ROM featuring best practice techniques used in the implementation of the Universal Protocol;

* a tolerate reference card with the three stairs necessary to promote correct site surgery;

* literal senses to perioperative nurses, physicians, CEO and risk managers encouraging them to further standardization of the Universal Protocol in all facilities;

* a sample policy template;

* answers to as a common thing [i]or[/i] matter asked questions, references, and web sites that contain additional information;

* a patient education pamphlet titled "Help prevent errors in your care: For surgical patients"; and

* information about earning individual contact hour.

Work began onward the toot kit after a recommendation was made from the AORN Presidential Commission forward Patient Safety in September 2003 Although AORN and more than 40 health care organizations have endorsed the JCAHO Protocol, the Presidential Commission realized that endorsement of the Universal Protocol was not enough, and perioperative nourishs need additional resources to implement this protocol effectively.

The Joint Commission will begin surveying institutions based forward the Universal Protocol guidelines in July 2004 AORN encourages adoption of the JCAHO Universal Protocol in each facility.

Additional copies of the tool kit are available for purchase for $595 for members and $1195 for nonmembers, plus $4 postage and handling. To purchase copies, contact AORN customer service at (800) 755-2676 x 1 of throw an e-mail to custsvc@aorn.org.

Universal Protocol for Preventing blameworthy Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong someone Surgery is trademark of the Joint Commission onward Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Association of Operating extent Nurses, Inc.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group