Ideas That Work: From Turn Card to ‘Turnkey’: Binder Streamlines ASC’s Onboarding Process

Practical pearls from your colleagues

The peer-to-peer orientation process for new nurses and surgical technicians at OAM Surgery Center at MidTowne in Grand Rapids, Mich., was not only time-consuming but also inconsistent due to variations in experience, teaching styles and note-taking practices. Particularly, it involved rectangular “turn cards” that weren’t optimal training devices.

“Turn cards are used during surgeries to ensure that surgical gowns are closed sterilely with the help of non-sterile personnel, but often serve as a way to record specific doctor preferences and procedures,” says Andrew Seaford, the facility’s operating room education coordinator. “Experienced nurses often communicated procedural preferences verbally from memory, while less-experienced nurses relied heavily on detailed turn card notes. This variability resulted in uneven quality of information being passed down, leading to discrepancies in new hires’ training and creating unequal opportunities for success. We realized that a standardized resource was necessary to ensure consistent and equitable training for all new hires.”

The team transitioned to a much more streamlined, efficient system by building a comprehensive binder that Mr. Seaford says has significantly enhanced the onboarding experience. The binder, now provided to every new orientee and available in both printed and digital form, includes essential resources such as AORN standards, surgeon preferences and helpful tips. “The result is a more structured and consistent orientation that ensures every new team member is equipped with the knowledge they need to succeed from day one,” says Mr. Seaford.

The previous absence of such a standardized binder at OAM was due to a reliance on individual teaching styles and a lack of a unified approach to documentation, says Mr. Seaford. “As our needs evolved, it became clear that a structured binder was essential for standardizing training and ensuring all new hires received the same quality of information,” he says. OSM