Ideas That Work: Let Staff Wear Their Own Thyroid Shields

Members of our surgical team were particularly grossed out about wearing thyroid shields others had worn during procedures involving intraoperative imaging. Anecdotally, they were finding makeup and other materials on them. Some staffers who had developed rashes on their throats attributed it to not knowing the last time a shield had been cleaned. That started a wave of staffers purchasing their own personal thyroid shields, which cost about $75. They clean the shields on their own, and they’re checked annually by our radiologists to ensure they retain the proper integrity.

Angela M. Ellis, MSN, RN, CNOR
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, Fla.
[email protected]