Releasing Operating Room Nursing Time to Care through the Reduction of Surgical Case Preparation Time: A Lean Six Sigma Pilot Study

Patricia Egan, Anthony Pierce, Audrey Flynn, Sean Paul Teeling, Marie Ward and Martin McNamara
Additional contact information
Patricia Egan: Beacon Hospital Beacon Court, Bracken Rd, Sandyford Business Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18, D18 AK68 Dublin, Ireland
Anthony Pierce: Beacon Hospital Beacon Court, Bracken Rd, Sandyford Business Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18, D18 AK68 Dublin, Ireland
Audrey Flynn: Beacon Hospital Beacon Court, Bracken Rd, Sandyford Business Park, Sandyford, Dublin 18, D18 AK68 Dublin, Ireland
Sean Paul Teeling: UCD Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Education & Innovation in Health Systems, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems UCD Health Sciences Centre, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
Marie Ward: Centre for Innovative Human Systems, School of Psychology, Trinity College, The University of Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland
Martin McNamara: UCD Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, Education & Innovation in Health Systems, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Systems UCD Health Sciences Centre, D04 V1W8 Dublin, Ireland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-15

Abstract: Healthcare systems internationally are working under increasing demand to use finite resources with greater efficiency. The drive for efficiency utilises process improvement methodologies such as Lean Six Sigma. This study outlines a pilot Lean Six Sigma intervention designed to release nursing time to care within a peri-operative environment; this was achieved by collaborating with stakeholders to redesign the process for laparoscopic hernia surgical case preparation (set up) material. Across 128 laparoscopic hernia surgical cases, the pilot resulted in a 55% decrease in overall nursing time spent in gathering and preparing materials for laparoscopic hernia surgical cases, with a corresponding reduction in packaging waste. The major impact of releasing nursing time to care within busy Operating Room environments enabled nurses to focus on continuing to deliver high-quality care to their patients and reduce pressure expressed by the Operating Room nurses. The results have led to an ongoing review of other surgical procedures preparation to further release nursing time and will be of interest to perioperative teams internationally.

Keywords: preference card; surgical materials; Lean Six Sigma (LSS); custom pack; touchpoints; operating room (OR) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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