Safe Surgery 2015: South Carolina
Surgical Safety Checklist Observation Tool FAQs
Monitoring checklist use is an extremely important part of this project. Performing observations can often reveal
weaknesses in checklist performance that may otherwise go unnoticed. This tool allows you to collect information
regarding the processes performed in the operating room in order to improve surgical outcomes.
How many cases should we observe in our hospital?
• If you have more than 8 ORs, collect at least 10 observations per quarter.
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If you have less than 7 ORs, collect at least 5 observations per quarter.
Who should complete this tool?
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The best way to use these tools is to have a person that is not part of the operating room team complete
this tool. Sometimes the best people to complete this tool are nurse educators, nurse managers, or quality
improvement officers.
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Some hospitals ask individuals that work in different areas of the hospital or operating room to perform the
observations so they can be more neutral.
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When you use somebody that is not part of the case the feedback will be less biased. They can also offer
coaching and feedback to the team.
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While having a person that is not part of the case is optimal, some facilities do not have the staff or
resources to do this. In this case circulating nurses that are part of the case can complete this tool.
How long does the observer need to stay in the OR to complete this tool?
At a minimum, observers should stay for the portions of the case when the checklist is performed.
How should we select the cases that we are going to observe?
It is important to select random cases to observe. Try setting a rule. For example, observe the second case of the
day for five consecutive days. Make sure that you observe in various operating rooms throughout the week to
capture the checklist performance of different surgical teams.
What do we do with the completed observation tools?
We recommend that every hospital looks at the data that they collect to gain a better understanding of what parts
of the checklist your surgical teams perform well and which areas your hospital might want to concentrate their
efforts on.
The Safe Surgery 2015 team offers every hospital in South Carolina free analysis and will compile a benchmarked
report for your organization. To view a sample hospital report please click here. If you would like to utilize this
service make a copy of all of your completed observation tools and send the originals to:
Katherine Jahreis
Harvard School of Public Health
677 Huntington Avenue, Suite 505
Department of Health Policy and Management
Boston MA 02115
Phone: 617-432-4894
Email at: kjahreis@hsph.harvard.edu