DENVER, May 22 /PRNewswire/ — Wrong-site surgery and other preventable mistakes still occur too frequently in U.S. operating rooms. That’s why the American College of Surgeons (ACS) and The Joint Commission are partnering with AORN on its annual National Time Out Day observance on June 20. It will be the fourth consecutive year AORN has sponsored this event to highlight The Joint Commission’s mandated “time out” to verify the correct patient, correct procedure, and correct site before any surgery begins.
“Partnering on National Time Out Day from our surgical and accreditation partners symbolizes the collective effort required by every member of the surgical team to practice a time out and ensure correct patient, correct procedure, and correct site every time,” said AORN President Mary Jo Steiert, RN, BSN, CNOR.
“The American College of Surgeons views National Time Out Day as an important event for the entire surgical care team,” said ACS Executive Director Thomas R. Russell, MD, FACS. “This is an important patient safety initiative that reminds all members of the operating room team about the importance of maintaining clear communication as they review the case of the patient before them and during the actual surgical procedure,” he continued. “The day reinforces the good practice of overall clear communication, which should always be part of a surgical team’s routine. It is one of our best safety tools for preventing medical errors, and we encourage all surgeons to take the lead in serving as facilitators in this process.”
Speaking for The Joint Commission, Senior Vice President Paul Schyve, MD, said, “What happens in the perioperative environment is very complex, and complexity increases the risk of error. That’s why a time out that identifies a mistake in identifying the correct patient, the correct procedure, or the correct site before the error reaches the patient is so important for patient safety. National Time Out Day is a reminder that a time out should take place before every surgery.”
A time out is the last in a series of steps established in 2003 as part of The Joint Commission’s Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery(TM).
Surgical teams across the United States are encouraged to participate in National Time Out Day. AORN, ACS, and The Joint Commission offer online resources for participation in this event to increase awareness that a time out must occur before every surgical procedure. For further details visit: http://www.aorn.org/.
About AORN
AORN, Inc., the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, is the professional organization of perioperative registered nurses. AORN represents approximately 40,000 registered nurses in the United States and abroad who facilitate the management, teaching and practice of perioperative nursing, or who are enrolled in nursing education or engaged in perioperative research, as well as perioperative nurses who work in related business and industry sectors. AORN’s mission is to support registered nurses in achieving optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. AORN promotes quality patient care by providing its members with education, standards, services and representation. For more information, visit http://www.aorn.org/.
About American College of Surgeons
The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and to improve the care of the surgical patient. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 71,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit http://www.facs.org/.
About The Joint Commission
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits nearly 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,300 other health care organizations that provide long term care, assisted living, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. The Joint Commission also accredits health plans, integrated delivery networks, and other managed care entities. In addition, The Joint Commission provides certification of disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation’s oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at http://www.jointcommission.org/.
Contact: Carina Stanton, AORN 303-755-6304 ext. 269 E-mail: [email protected]
AORN
CONTACT: Carina Stanton of AORN, +1-303-755-6304, ext. 269,[email protected]
Web site: http://www.facs.org/
Web site: http://www.jointcommission.org/
Web site: http://www.aorn.org/
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