Nurses note National Time Out Day

To the editor:

On June 10, National Time Out Day will be marked in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers around the country. Taking a 'time out” to confirm correct patient, correct procedure, correct surgical site and other important information before every operative and other invasive procedure is a requirement of The Joint Commission Universal Protocol. Despite the requirement, 40-60 wrong-site surgeries likely occur in the U.S. each week.

Time Out Day was created by the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses in 2004 to raise awareness about the importance of requiring the entire surgical team to pause before all invasive procedures to communicate as a group and confirm key information about the patient and procedure to help prevent errors from occurring.

As a perioperative nurse and AORN member, I commemorate National Time Out Day with this public commitment to my patients, their loved ones and the entire surgical community that I will always take time out for every patient, every time. A registered nurse in every operating room is important so she/he can be your personal advocate during your surgery. Remember to never be afraid to ask questions. We are here for you.

Rhonda Price

Solon