Endoscopy procedures often require a lot of equipment, including standard and emergency supplies.
Keeping this equipment neat and tidy is essential for successful endoscopy procedures and satisfied patients. A well-organized endoscopy department also makes work easier for the staff on the unit and prevents accidents, errors, and mishaps.
There are lots of different methods of organizing your endoscopy equipment to ensure great patient outcomes. We’ve discussed some helpful and practical strategies you can use to keep your endoscopy unit clean and tidy, and ensure optimal physical wellness for your patients.
Create a Dedicated Equipment Storage Space
Create a designated space in your endoscopy unit to store equipment so your staff knows exactly where to find tools and devices when needed. Dedicating room for an organized storage space also streamlines inventory management.
Consider contacting a company like InnerSpace that offers high-quality, specialized storage equipment. Depending on the type of equipment you use during your endoscopy procedures, you’ll be able to customize your storage facilities accordingly.
Use an Inventory Management System
Managing your stock can be difficult when you’ve got a constant supply of new endoscopy equipment coming in to replace old tools or devices. With staff constantly using the equipment on your unit, things can easily get lost, and your stock can get messy and disorganized.
Using an inventory management system makes maintaining and organizing your stock much easier. You can use software that streamlines stock counts and sends reminders when certain stock is low.
Advanced inventory management tools can automatically order stock when you’re running out of certain items, so you don’t need to manually place orders. As a result, your staff can focus on providing top-quality patient care and undergoing successful endoscopies.
Define Disposal and Reusable Equipment
Your endoscopy nurses and nursing assistants will use both disposable and reusable equipment during procedures. To keep your endoscopy suite organized, use labels to indicate which equipment is for one-time use only and which tools are suitable for washing and reusing.
Storing disposable and reusable items separately is another effective way to organize your equipment. Purchase separate storage units for each category of tools, so your staff knows to dispose of particular pieces of equipment after use to abide by health and safety regulations.
Conduct Regular Audits
It’s important to conduct regular audits as the owner or manager of an endoscopy unit. Equipment audits enable you to check that your tools and devices are in full working order and are free of damage. You can also check your stock numbers and identify room for improvement to ensure you comply with all industry standards and regulations.
If you don’t have time to conduct in-depth audits regularly yourself, consider outsourcing this task to a third-party company. Doing so also improves your company reputation and trust in your consumers by providing a second opinion on the health, safety, and professionalism of your endoscopy unit.
