Ideas That Work: Post Preference Cards on the Wall

When New Tampa Surgery Center Nurse Manager Beth Hoy, MSN, RNFA, ON-C, CNOR, scrubs cases, she takes meticulous notes on the techniques and preferences of each surgeon. She turns her notes into surgeon- and case-specific laminated cards dubbed “Surgeon Wallpaper” by the orthopedic center’s staff. The 8.5-by-11-inch cards are taped to the OR wall as needed, usually during infrequently performed cases or if a new surgical team member needs guidance. Photos of the pre-op instrumentation layout for each surgeon and each type of case are taped next to the Wallpaper, which includes the sequence of when instruments are used, special draping directives, and the contents of pain medicine cocktails and when to administer them during the case. “The directives also include surgeons’ idiosyncrasies, as well as special instruments each of them wants on hand for specific cases,” explains Ms. Hoy. “The information helps the scrub tech anticipate what’s needed during the next step of the case, which the surgeons appreciate.” OSM