Patient identification is a foundational element of perioperative care, yet errors continue to occur despite established protocols and regulatory requirements. While the use of two patient identifiers is standard practice, knowing the patient’s identity alone is not enough to ensure that the intended patient is receiving care. In fast-paced perioperative environments, familiarity, assumptions, interruptions, and workflow pressures can subtly compromise verification processes.
In their upcoming Periop Leader Week session, Who, who are you? Why knowing the patient isn’t enough, Ann Marie Morris, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSGB, associate clinical director, perioperative quality, safety, and education, and Georgina Hurley, MSN, RN, CNOR, senior clinical director, perioperative nursing—both with Penn Medicine Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania—will tackle the issue head on.
Their session will take place Monday, Oct, 5, from 10:30 to 11:30 am at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah, Ga. (Register for Periop Leader Week today using code PLNVIP to save 15%!)
Ann Marie Morris, MSN, RN, CNOR, CSSGB, Associate Clinical Director, Perioperative Quality, Safety, and Education, Penn Medicine Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
“I think that people do not recognize the risk of taking shortcuts in their everyday workflow,” says Ms. Morris. “We can do the greatest surgery in the world, but if we don’t do it on the right patient, what have we gained? it's just incredible the things that happen with patient identification near misses. Efficiency is obviously important, but providers need to slow down and really think. It’s important that people recognize the risks. That’s why this session is important. It’s a real passion of mine.”
Ms. Morris’ and Ms. Hurley’s presentation will examine near misses identified through a quality improvement review at their medical center. By analyzing de-identified events, participants will explore system and human factors that contribute to near misses, including communication breakdowns, handoff vulnerabilities, confirmation bias, and overreliance on task-based checklists. These insights have informed the development of enhanced patient verification practices that move beyond checklist compliance toward shared cognitive processes.
Georgina Hurley, MSN, RN, CNOR, Senior Clinical Director, Perioperative Nursing, Penn Medicine Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
By leveraging near misses as opportunities for learning and system improvement, Ms. Morris and Ms. Hurley believe perioperative teams can enhance patient identification practices and reduce preventable harm. Their session will underscore the critical role of the perioperative nurse in not only knowing the patient but confidently knowing they have the correct patient.
Participants will learn three common shortcuts that increase the risk of patient identification errors in the perioperative setting; apply shared cognitive verification practices to replace those shortcuts with deliberate, team‑based strategies that strengthen accurate patient identification; and gain two improved verification behaviors their can incorporate into their own practices to enhance patient identification accuracy.
Join us at Periop Leader Week to access this session and dozens of others designed to help you grow as a perioperative leader. Register today using code PLNVIP to save 15%!
