I’m researching the use of checklists in various industries, especially healthcare. Does anyone here have experience with use checklists in their daily tasks? If yes, what has been your experience like?
-Vijay
This question was asked in the nursing forum section.
Jamie RN says
When you ask about checklists are you talking about nursing competencies or procedure checklists? For instance, when I transfer to a new department I have to complete a competency checkoff list and have another nurse co-sign saying I am competent in it.
In nursing we do use some checklist at times. For example, I use a pre-op checklist before I get a patient ready for an invasive procedure. This list helps me make sure I have everything ready before the procedure starts (consent, pt’s NPO status, pt’s valuable locations, abnormal labs, marking of the site etc). As nurses we also use nursing care plans that have checklists.
I hope I was helpful!
Vijay says
Oh no, not the competency checklists, I was asking about the procedure checklist. I became interested in this topic after reading Dr.Gawande’s book.
Thank you for answering. I’ve a couple of followup questions
1. Where can I see a sample checklist? Is it there in a public website?
2. Is it mandated by law or your hospital to have a checklist before a procedure?
3. Do you fill it on paper or do you have a software to fill it (webpage, iPad app etc)?
Jamie RN says
You’re welcome!
1.) You can google “nursing pre-op checklist form” and you will find many forms that are similar to the ones I use. I found one you can look at. It is in the article and if you scroll down a bit you will see a picture of it. Just click the picture and it will make it bigger so you can see what the form has on it. http://today.uconn.edu/2011/08/surgical-resident-committed-to-operating-room-safety/
2. ) It is mandatory where I work. I think it is a Joint Commission thing. So because it is a Joint Commission thing it is hospital policy.
3.) Just recently we are required to fill out the checklist using our hospital’s computer documentation software. We do online charting now. However, it use to be on paper. I think every facility is different on how you are required to fill it out.
Hope this helped!
Vijay says
Great! Thank you, I just saved the Image checklist.
One last question – do you remember the software that you use to fill out the checklists?
Jamie RN says
It is software created by a company called Siemens and we call it Soarian. I think this is software specially made for our company, so you can’t really go out and purchase it.
Vijay says
Awesome, thank you. I’m reading up on it.
I can make something like that on my own (not the whole thing obviously, just the checklist part)
Jamie RN says
You’re very welcome. I wish you much success on your project 🙂