Environmental Stewardship (Waste Minimization)

Guidelines:

• Principles of product evaluation and cost containment
• Environmental Stewardship
  • Go Green
  • Go Clear

Considerations:

• Interdisciplinary team effort
  • Key stakeholders
  • Expertise of organization’s structure and patient population
• Standardize evaluation process
  • Equal comparison
  • Transparency
  • Accountability
  • Sustainability
  • Assess environmental impact
  • Support environmentally preferable purchasing
• Comprehensive plan to introduce new products/devices into clinical practice
  • Facilitate smooth implementation
  • Manufacturer’s clinical use recommendations
  • Education
• Post-purchase product evaluation QI/PI process
  • Mechanism for verifying new product/devices meet expected performance criteria
  • Verify pre-selection evaluation process meets objectives

Nurse’s role:

• Practice environmental stewardship
  • Go Green
    • Minimize Waste
    • Interdisciplinary team participation and collaboration
  • Go Clear
    • Smoke-free environment
    • Wear appropriate PPE

Pitfalls:

• Leadership support
• Key stakeholder support
• Practice/Product changes
• Need for constant reevaluation

Examples:

• Go Green:
  • Blue wrap recycling
  • Custom pack evaluation
  • Waste minimization
  • Energy conservation
• Go Clear:
  • Smoke evacuator compliance

Linchpins (Key Points):

• Small initial steps lead to significant progress
• Be an active steward for the environment
• Participate in interdisciplinary team collaboration