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Nursing Journal
Dr. Sundt says his team has embraced the briefings and continues to conduct them prior to the
first procedure of the day. Other surgical teams have since requested implementation of the
briefings.
"It's time well spent that tunes us in to the specific patient's needs," says Dr. Sundt. In addition to
specific concerns about the surgery, the briefings include information about the patient's prior
procedures, other diagnoses, risks and emotional concerns, such as the patient's biggest worry
regarding surgery.
"It sets the tone for the day. Now, I'm uncomfortable when we don't do it," says Dr. Sundt, who
was initially skeptical about the benefits of the briefings.
There are barriers to conducting briefings for every procedure. "The structure of the operating
room is not conducive to this," says Dr. Sundt. With multiple surgical suites, surgery times
overlap, creating difficulty in assembling the team prior to each procedure. During long, complex
surgeries, shift and staff changes occur.
Results from the Mayo Clinic pilot are published online in theJournal of the American College of
Surgeons. Additional study and pilots are needed to determine ways to incorporate the briefings
more broadly, researchers say.