Biosecurity Protocols
Effective infection control and setting up biosecurity protocols in your practice aims to identify, reduce, or mitigate risks of HAIs. During a surgical procedure, the responsibility of reducing a patient's risks and susceptibility if HAIs and specifically Surgical Site Infections, is that of the operating Veterinary Surgeon and Theatre Nurse.
The 10 Roles of The Theatre Nurse
The role of the Theatre Nurse is key in ensuring surgical
procedures run smoothly and all risks are identified and reasonably reduced,
with this responsibility comes an umbrella of tasks to manage including:
- Ensuring appropriate scheduling and ordering of the procedures for the day
- Prepares the theatre environment
- Prepares and organises the induction area
- Ensuring appropriate surgical preparation of the patient
- Monitoring the patient and surgical environment peri-operatively
- Ensuring all staff in the theatre environment are adopting correct handwashing protocols and wearing appropriate PPE
- Assisting the veterinary surgeon as required during surgery
- Communicates the patient’s procedure and recovery needs to the kennel team
- Pivotal in the decontamination and re-set up of the theatre
- Ensuring effective communication (and training where necessary) of theatre biosecurity protocols