Preparing for electrical power system failures

AORN Journal, April, 2007 by Suzanne C. Beyea

* power to ORs and recovery rooms. (1)

NURSING PREPARATION

There are steps a nurse can take to help minimize the effects of power outages and to keep patients safe during an outage. First, nurses should know and understand what actions they must take to ensure that even a temporary electrical outage does not result in patient harm. This includes identifying and always connecting critical equipment to outlets that receive back-up power. Next, nurses should learn more about departmental and facility plans for a power outage. For example, if the intercom does not receive power, how will communication occur? Which alarms will work without electricity? If the power outage is prolonged, how will food, water, medications, and linen be provided? (1)

It is essential that nurses participate in the development of contingency plans for their individual departments. These procedures must be reviewed on a regular basis so all health care workers will be prepared to respond effectively when the worst case scenario of a prolonged power outage occurs.

POWER OUTAGE PREPARATION

In the past five years, many noteworthy power outages have occurred across the United States. These incidents include loss of power during a blackout in the US northeast, in coastal states during recent hurricanes, and in many cities as the result of floods. These disasters have created negative conditions at affected health care facilities and have focused national attention on the actual and potential risks associated with power outages. (1)

A facility's ability to provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity to critical equipment and systems during a power outage helps ensure patient safety. Nurses must make it a priority to be prepared for electric power failures so that when one occurs they can respond in a manner that helps prevent adverse events.

REFERENCE

(1.) The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Preventing adverse events caused by emergency electrical power systems failures. Sentinel Event Alert. September 6, 2006;37. Available at: http://www.joint commission.org/SentinelEvents /SentinelEventAlert/sea_37.htm. Accessed February 13, 2007.

SUZANNE C. BEYEA

PHD, RN, FAAN

DIRECTOR OF NURSING RESEARCH

DARTMOUTH-HITCHCOCK MEDICAL CENTER

LEBANON, NH