Standards for the management of swabs, needles and instruments in the operating theatre

The management of swabs, needles and instruments in the operating theatre is a high-risk and problem-prone area for the operating theatre nurse. The purpose of this research is to formulate specific standards on the management of swabs, needles and instruments in the operating theatre to ensure the safety of the patient. An exploratory and descriptive research design was used and executed in 3 hospitals of a private hospital group in Gauteng. A structured two phase process was followed, i.e. the development phase and the validation phase. This last phase was done by means of deliberate debate. It is recommended that these standards be implemented, tested and validated on a national basis and a monitoring and evaluation system should be developed to ensure nursing compliance with these standards.