The 13th annual National Time Out Day — an event supporting nurses' ability to advocate for safe surgical practices — is scheduled for June 14, according to Association of periOperative Registered Nurses.
Here are three things to know about "timeouts" and National Time Out Day 2017.
1. Perioperative timeouts allow surgical teams to pause prior to procedures to confirm they are performing the correct procedure on the appropriate bodily location of the correct patient.
2. Timeouts have been recommended practice in the U.S. since The Joint Commission launched the Universal Protocol with the Time Out in 2004.
3. For 2017, AORN is promoting the event with posters bearing the acronym SUPER HERO to advocate for the reduction of surgical errors.
- Support a safety culture
- Use The Joint Commission's Universal Protocol and AORN Surgical Checklist
- Proactively reduce risk in the operating room
- Effect change in your organization
- Reduce harm to patients
- Have frank discussions about hazardous situations
- Empower others to speak up when a patient is at-risk
- Respect others on the surgical team
- Openly seek opportunities for improving patient safety
To learn more about the event and download the poster, click here.
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