Implementing No Interruption Zones in the Perioperative Environment

Abstract

The perioperative arena is one of the most information-intensive, intricate, and complex work environments in health care, and it depends on sound communication to help ensure patient safety. Surgical procedures require attention, vigilance, and situational awareness. Noise and other distractions have the potential to cause mental lapses, impair thought processes, and divert attention away from tasks, increasing the likelihood of adverse patient events. However, there is no way to eliminate all noise from an OR. AORN advocates for a controlled environment in which distractions and noise are minimized. Our project presents an overview of how the No Interruption Zone concept was introduced in an outpatient surgical setting through an educational intervention. Our findings suggest that noise levels during critical phases of surgery can be reduced through focused education for perioperative team members.

Keywords: NIZ; critical phase; no interruption zone; noise; safety.