Final answer:
If there is no designated scrub person, the circulating nurse verifies the medication with the licensed professional performing the procedure. The verification is a critical part of preoperative checks that include reviewing the procedure name, equipment, and potential issues for patient safety. These checks are in place to ensure a cooperative approach to the surgical process and avoid mistakes. Option d.
Step-by-step explanation:
If there is no designated scrub person, the circulating/procedure nurse verifies the medication visually and verbally with the licensed professional performing the procedure option d. This is in line with the protocols that aim to ensure patient safety and reduce the risk of errors. Before the induction of anesthesia, it is crucial that members of the team, which typically includes nurses and anesthesia professionals, orally confirm several key details regarding the patient's care.
These details include the name of the procedure, needle and instrument counts, correct labeling of the specimen, and any equipment issues. The team also reviews critical steps, anticipated events, and recovery procedures, reaffirming the importance of a cooperative approach to the surgical process. While there is no single widely accepted protocol for all aspects of surgical prep, such checklists and verbal confirmations draw inspiration from other fields, such as aviation, which relies on checklists for safety.
By following these steps, the circulating nurse contributes to a culture of safety where communication and verification are key components, helping to avoid preventable mistakes. The importance of involving the entire surgical team, including surgeons, nurses, and anesthesia staff, in preoperative checks is emphasized, which mirrors the approach used by ICU doctors for central intravenous line insertions as proposed by Dr. Pronovost.