Committing to Safety and the Surgical Time Out

Dear Perioperative Nurse Colleagues,

It has been nearly a year since we began our journey to bring you The Stitch. We have had tremendous success. Our content continues to inspire our community to support and learn from each other.

This week, we come together to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the surgical time out. In the new Throwback Theater column, AORN past-President Bill Duffy, MJ, RN, CNOR, FAAN, describes the history of the development of the surgical time out campaign and the role the AORN Board of Directors and AORN members played in advocating for patient safety. I encourage you to read this column--it’s a story of nurse-led advocacy for a commitment to patient safety.

As I reflect on this significant year, I recall learning to become a perioperative nurse and how scared I was to conduct the surgical time out. I was scared I would state the time out incorrectly, and I was so nervous having all eyes on me when reading the procedure and ensuring all equipment was available and the site marked in a room full of experienced perioperative team members. All of the thoughts and questions below raced through my mind at some point.

“Oh no, I’m going to pronounce this really long procedure name wrong in front of a surgeon I’ve never met before…”

“Why is my heart racing and why does it feel like it’s going to bounce out of my chest?”

“I’m terrified I’ll miss a step in the time out and cause a wrong-site surgery.”

“Everyone is going to laugh at me and think I’m not cut out to be a perioperative nurse.”

The more times I practiced and gave myself some grace, the more comfortable I became at mastering the surgical time out. All the fears and anxiety I experienced soon subsided, and I became a pro at the time out—so much so that I proudly conducted the surgical time out the exact same way every time for every patient according to facility policy. Patient safety was my goal, and I took pride in my practice as a perioperative nurse and the responsibility that came with it.

I assure you—all those thoughts that you might have as a novice nurse are valid, but you mustn’t let them overpower you. What matters most is that you advocate for the safety of your patient and perform the surgical time out according to your facility’s policy to protect your patient from a wrong-site surgery. And when you are an experienced nurse, you must support and encourage the novice nurse along the way so they can be successful too.

When anyone tries to challenge you to take shortcuts during the surgical time out, do not let them convince you to skip steps or to forego the time out entirely. Your patient is counting on you, and your fellow nursing colleagues are counting on you to protect the patient and lead the surgical time out.

You can always call a friend and close mentor or a colleague to your OR if you need an extra voice—someone like your charge nurse, past preceptor, or nurse manager. No one wants to see a patient harmed from a wrong-site surgery that could have been prevented. Phone a friend for help and get the surgical time out performed accordingly for patient safety. Trust me, you will be glad you did, and you will sleep better at night. I witnessed the surgical time out prevent a wrong-site surgery, so I promise you it works.

Colleagues, I ask you to recommit to the surgical time out today and every day and not lose sight of this important mission the members of AORN passionately fought for in the name of patient safety. The time out is one of the last opportunities we have to stop the line to avoid a serious preventable error. Let’s collectively do our best and strive to end wrong-site surgeries.

We want to hear from you—please submit your videos and stories about how you are speaking up for safety and ensuring every patient is protected from a wrong-site surgery. I am sure you have many success stories to share, just like Bill’s story on the history of the surgical time out and nurse advocacy.  Let’s continue to share these successes to inspire and encourage each other to always advocate for safe patient care.

Sincerely,  

Rebecca Vortman

Associate Editor

AORN Resources

AORN members can access:

• All Team Members Must Participate in the Time Out | AORN Journal
• Preventing Wrong-Side Surgery | AORN Journal
• Improving Team Members’ Attention During the OR Briefing or Time Out | AORN Journal
  

If your facility subscribes to eGuidelines+, you can access:

• Team Communication | eGuidelines+