June 12 will mark the 15th annual National Time Out Day, which encourages the use of presurgical safety checks to prevent adverse events like wrong-site surgeries, according to an article from The Joint Commission.
Four things to know:
1. Wrong-site surgery is one of the three most reported adverse events, according to The Joint Commission.
2. Prevention measures must include better vigilance and equal accountability for all surgical team members, said LuAnn Vis, RN, BSN, associate director of high reliability initiatives at The Joint Commission's Center for Transforming Healthcare.
3. Ms. Vis said hospitals should involve patients in presurgical checks, track team progress and foster a "speak-up culture," to reduce the risk of wrong-site surgeries, among other strategies.
4. The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses offers ideas and resources for participating in National Time Out Day. For example, surgical teams can share photos on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #AORNTimeOut2019 for a chance to win a $100 gift card.