The presenters will discuss critical operational issues and their implications for planning a surgery department, with emphasis on including the nurse’s point-of-view throughout the process. Data will be presented from a survey of AORN members concerning operating room (OR) design issues that affect the surgical work environment. The survey results offer insight into how best to integrate the nursing team into the design process from its earliest stages through postoccupancy analysis. This session will enable you to:

● Describe the design implications of sterile techniques commonly employed in the surgical environment.
● Define the zones used in the surgical environment and their implications for infection prevention, communications, and the movement of patients, personnel, and supplies.
● Identify the best opportunities for integrating nursing knowledge into the planning and design process.
● Discuss the major pitfalls, based on survey results, in OR design from the perioperative nurse’s point of view.