LAUSR

T safety of every surgical patient is in the hands of the perioperative team. As perioperative nurses, we keep safety at the top of our list every day. Patient safety strategies usually include a wellexecuted plan that allows us to provide optimal care consistently. However, a day in surgical services is rarely predictable, and small or large disruptions can occur. Some of these events are beyond our control (eg, patient physiological changes), and we must develop strategies to mitigate the potential harm associated with them. Conversely, there are events that we can prevent (eg, retained surgical items, surgical site infections [SSIs]) by following safety protocols.