NORCET 8 Prelims-2025: WHO prescribed a surgical checklist for safer surgical procedures which includes?

NORCET 8 Prelims-2025

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: NORCET 8 Prelims-2025

Explanation

The WHO Surgical Safety Checklist consists of three key phases designed to ensure patient safety at critical junctures of a surgical procedure.
The first phase, 'Sign In', is conducted before the induction of anesthesia to confirm patient identity, site, procedure, and consent.
The second phase, 'Time Out', occurs just before the skin incision, involving the entire team in a final verification.
The third phase, 'Sign Out', is completed before the patient leaves the operating room to confirm instrument counts and plan for postoperative care.

Option B: The first checkpoint is 'Sign In', which occurs before the induction of anesthesia, not before premedication. Premedication may be given well before the patient enters the operating room.
Option C: The third phase, 'Sign Out', happens before the patient leaves the operating room, not before the patient comes into the operating theatre (OT). The process begins once the patient is in the OT.
Option D: The second phase is 'Time Out', which occurs before the skin incision, not specifically before intubation. While intubation is part of the anesthesia process, the 'Time Out' is a distinct pause for the entire team before the surgery itself begins.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Phases of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Consistent use of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist is a cornerstone of patient safety in perioperative nursing, proven to reduce surgical complications, infections, and mortality.
Nurses play a vital role, often leading the 'Sign In' and 'Sign Out' phases, ensuring all checks are completed and documented accurately.
What if? If a 'Time Out' is missed and the surgeon proceeds with the incision, the nurse has a professional and ethical duty to speak up immediately to halt the procedure until the safety check is performed. This is a critical patient advocacy and safety action.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core subject of the question, which is the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist.
Recall the three main phases or checkpoints of this checklist. The names themselves (Sign In, Time Out, Sign Out) provide clues about their timing.
Analyze each option by comparing its three stated time points to the known phases of the checklist.
The 'Sign In' phase occurs before anesthesia is given. The 'Time Out' is a pause before the first cut. The 'Sign Out' happens as the procedure concludes but before the patient is transferred out.
Eliminate options that list incorrect timings, such as 'before premedication' or 'before coming in OT'.
Select the option that accurately lists the three critical time points: before anesthesia induction, before skin incision, and before leaving the operating room.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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