The Problem: Our surgery department nurses recently identified an opportunity to standardize practices to reduce surgical site infections and improve patient outcomes.

We identified that not everyone was cleaning patients’ skin the exact same way. To fix this, we decided to “get back to the basics.” We looked at Evidence-Based Practices (EBP), which use scientific research and proven data to ensure we’re doing things in the most effective way possible.

The Solution: Teaching and Teamwork. We created a new training program for our nurses. We used handouts and hands-on demonstrations to make sure everyone understood the new process. We also used “audit tools,” which are like checklists, to make sure we didn’t drift back to old habits. 

Here is the new, science-backed way we prepare a patient’s abdomen for surgery: 

• Clean Hands: First, we wash our hands thoroughly. 

• Expose the Area: We uncover the abdomen (belly) but make sure we expose enough skin for the surgery and the drains. 

• Stop the Drips: We put towels on the sides of the patient to catch any extra soap, so it doesn’t pool underneath them. 

• The Belly Button: We use special cotton swabs to clean the belly button (umbilicus) first, removing any lint or dirt. 

• The Scrub: We use a special orange cleaning stick (CHG). We pop it open and let the medicine flow without shaking it. 

• The Motion: We scrub back and forth right where the surgery will happen for 30 seconds. Then, we move outward to the edges (cleaning from “clean” to “dirty”). 

• Soak it Up: If soap puddles in the belly button, we use gauze to soak it up. 

• Repeat: We do this until the whole area is covered and let it dry for two full minutes. 

The Results: We Did It! Because our nurses followed these new instructions perfectly, fewer patients got infections! 

When patients don’t get infections, they heal faster and are much happier. We set a goal to get an 85% score on our safety measures, but we did even better—we reached 85.4%! 

By sticking to the science, we improved: 

• Patient happiness. 

• Healing times (fewer wounds). 

• Hospital safety rates. 

We proved that when we work together and follow the evidence, we keep our patients safe.