You are a perioperative nurse inside the OR. The fire alarm sounds in the corridor outside your OR. You are told to prepare to evacuate your patient. What do you need to do, with your other team members, to safely transfer this patient to another area to continue with their procedure? Explain the reasons for your answers
What will be an ideal response?
Answer:
Anaesthetic nurse
Airway management equipment
Any drugs for the care of the patient (these drugs may not be readily accessible in new location)
All patient documentation and charts
Patient's personal belongings, if possible
Instrument/circulating nurse
Any sutures for the care of the patient (these sutures may not be available in new location)
Any instruments or equipment for the continuation (or cessation) of surgery
Consideration about what to cover the patient/operative site with for the transfer (i.e. pack wound with moist sponges, apply steridrape etc)
All patient documentation (i.e. surgical count paperwork)
All staff
Follow the directions of the nominated floor fire warden
Have completed annual mandatory fire safety training
Be familiar with fire-fighting equipment and its location in the department
Be familiar with ‘break glass alarm' location
Be knowledgeable about emergency exit points, egress route and whether there is an identified ‘sister ward' (a similar ward e.g. cardiac cath lab; procedure rooms) in your hospital where you can transfer your patient so that an operation can continue safely
Ensure trolleys or other equipment are not positioned to block an emergency exit point
A patient bed or trolley should always be available outside the theatre in case of an emergency evacuation
Know where fire doors are located in department (fitted in newer buildings and help contain fire and smoke for an extended time)
Fire evacuation drills should be conducted regularly with all staff involvement
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