Joint Commission offers tips for National Timeout Day

Surgical teams should mark the patient’s site of surgery as close to the actual site of surgery as possible, according to the Joint Commission and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. Teams should keep the site marking visible, especially at key steps of the procedure and utilize radiographic imaging when site marking is not possible for non-visible organs. The organizations released the advice ahead of National Time Out Day, held annually on June 14 to bring renewed attention for all surgical team members to pause before a surgical procedure begins to ensure it is the right site, right procedure and right person. (Joint Commission news release, 6/7/23)