Today (June 12, 2024) is National Time Out Day. This day serves as a reminder to slow down, stop and take time to provide excellent experiences to patients. A time out is also a key element of the surgery process designed to prevent errors.
Renae Wright, DNP, RN, CNOR, a perioperative practice specialist at AORN, explains the importance of a time out in a YouTube video.
“We celebrate National Time Out Day every year to honor our commitment to patient safety in the operating room,” Wright says. “AORN created National Time Out Day to remind health care leaders and perioperative teams of the vital role we all play in keeping our patients safe. The time out process is a crucial step in every surgical procedure. It’s when the whole team pauses before the procedure starts to confirm this is the right patient, the right site and the right procedure. Every day in the U.S. a wrong site surgery still happens.”
“There are four essential steps administrators and surgical teams can take to eliminate these never events and improve patient safety,” she adds.
- Step 1: Observe and audit how your teams conduct time out. How engaged is everyone in the room? Is every step of the time out process a part of the comprehensive surgical checklist? Ask these questions – Is the person who’s designated to lead the time out always leading it? Are all members of the team engaged for the complete duration of the time out? Are all other activities in the OR halted or suspended during the complete duration of the time out?
- Step 2: Review your audit findings with all members of your surgical teams. Be collaborative so everyone can discuss and agree on improvements.
- Step 3: Test your time out improvements — make sure they’re effective and a good fit for each team member.
- Step 4: Enlist a time out champion on every team. This person supports the team member who leads your time out. This champion should feel equally confident to address safety concerns and encourage others on the team to speak up too.
“By following these steps we can work together to eliminate never events and improve patient safety in the operating room,” Wright says. “Remember we’re all in this together. It’s our shared responsibility to be the advocate for patients on this National Time Out Day. We unite as perioperative professionals to reinforce the importance of taking time for time out. Join your colleagues across the country and around the world in making this important commitment to patient safety. Make your pledge to always follow the time out protocols.”
“In the high-pressure environment of the OR, taking a time out isn’t a formality – it’s a lifesaving pause. This National Time Out Day, let’s celebrate the power of clear communication and encourage every OR team member to speak up for patient safety,” says Lisa Spruce DNP, RN, CNS-CP, CNOR, ACNS, ACNP, FAAN, Senior Director of Evidence-Based Perioperative Practice.
Reported wrong site, wrong procedure, wrong patient and wrong implant surgeries increased 26% in 2023, according to new numbers from The Joint Commission’s Sentinel Event Data 2023 Annual Review. Leading contributors to wrong surgeries cited in the report include:
- No or insufficient Time-Out procedures
- Preoccupation/task fixation limiting situational awareness
- No or inadequate shared understanding among team members
For more information, visit aorn.org/events/national-time-out-day.
