71 - Team Driven Education to Enhance Surgical Patient Positioning and Skin Preparation

Description: DESCRIPTION OF TEAM
The education team consisted of a Registered Nurse (RN) Clinical Educator, Nursing Education Specialists, and Certified Surgical Assistants (CSA). The learners were RNs, Certified Surgical Technologists, CSAs, Patient Care Assistants, and Nurse Practitioners.

ASSESSMENT
The Surgical Services team identified numerous opportunities for increased awareness regarding patient positioning and skin preparation within the operating room including but not limited to risks for patient injury, optimization of surgical site exposure, and minimization of infection risks. An assessment of the level of knowledge and comfort of various team members within different specialty operating rooms was completed, confirming high variability in the knowledge among staff in the surgical suite due to the differences in education and training relative to work roles and experience.

PREPARATION AND PLANNING
Conversations occurred between multidisciplinary team members to ensure the educational content was in alignment across the department. A range of educational strategies were identified to accommodate different learning styles.

IMPLEMENTATION
Once it was determined there was an opportunity to enhance the team's knowledge base, a review of existing information and tools was completed to determine where education could be enhanced to create consistent content across the organization. The next step was collaboration between Nursing Education and Mayo School of Health Sciences staff inclusive of the Surgical First Assistant and Nurse Anesthesia programs. In addition to compiling information from within these programs, the content creation was based on the following:

Staff learning needs assessment

Current organizational policies and guidelines

Recommendations from the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN)

To maximize the teamwork in the operating room, a conscious decision was made to deliver the content via using both a classroom environment and in the surgical environment using a Nurse Educator in conjunction with an active Surgical Assistant as the facilitators in an operating room. The learner groups were also strategically brought together as a multidisciplinary group during the first months of joining the surgical team.

OUTCOME
To evaluate the success and satisfaction of the education provided, learners were surveyed on their overall experience, confidence in understanding, ability to apply the content in practice, and ability to find resources on patient positioning and skin preparation. The results were highly positive, with staff from all disciplines finding the content applicable and helpful in building confidence in their skills and fostering collaboration both in the classroom and the operating room.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PERIOPERATIVE NURSING
This course is directly connected to perioperative nursing as it provides learners with the necessary skills and confidence to effectively position surgical patients and prepare their skin for surgery. By fostering collaboration and communication among team members, the course enhances the overall efficiency and safety of perioperative procedures. The hands-on experience and multidisciplinary approach ensure that nurses are well-prepared to handle the complexities of the operating room, ultimately improving patient outcomes and team dynamics.