Cultivating Quality: Implementing Surgical Smoke Evacuation in the Operating Room

Overview Inspired by a presentation at an educational conference, two operating room (OR) nurses at Children's Hospital Boston raised concerns at the hospital's perioperative evidence-based practice committee meeting about the potential hazards associated with exposure to surgical smoke and aerosols. The nurses initiated a safety project involving the use of smoke evacuation devices in ORs. The subsequent policy development took two years and involved a literature review, a survey of other institutions, and the support of numerous stakeholders. A utilization review and supportive educational initiatives are ongoing.