Perform a Risk Assessment
Nurses’ Roles in the Maintenance of Normothermia of a Surgical Patient
The patient’s temperature should be monitored for the duration of the procedure. (ORNAC, 2021)
(ORNAC, 2021)
💬 Communication Highlights
- If a patient’s temperature is below 36°C preoperatively, the anesthesia provider should be notified and prewarming measures implemented.
- The use of warming methods should be discussed during the surgical safety checklist. If the procedure is longer than 30 minutes, prewarming methods should be in place.
- During the transfer of accountability to PACU, the circulating nurse should communicate to the receiving nurse the warming methods and type of anesthetic that were used. They should relate anything significant that could influence the patient’s post-op temperature such as if the patient was irrigated with many fluids.
📁 Documentation Highlights
- Policy/procedure or guidelines should be available for the management of unplanned perioperative hypothermia.
- The temperature should be assessed within the hour before the procedure and documented during the preoperative assessment phase of care.
- The temperature should be monitored and documented every hour by the anesthetist.
📽️ AORN CINE-MED VIDEO
Navigate to the AORN Cine-Med website and make sure that you are logged in before clicking on the link below.
- Watch the AORN Cine-Med Video on Prevention of Unplanned Perioperative Hypothermia
- Download the Study Guide included to follow along.
- Runtime 24 minutes