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Patient safety

How to do a time-out before a procedure

Other platforms explain it with text and video. In Making Synapses you practice it on the patient.

MD / DOPANursing (NCLEX)
Practice it in VR with Blocky

The time-out is the last check before a procedure starts. It is part of the Joint Commission Universal Protocol to prevent wrong-patient, wrong-site and wrong-procedure errors.

Step by step

  1. Time it right

    Do the time-out right before the incision or procedure starts, after the patient is positioned and draped. [1]

  2. Stop all activity

    Everyone stops work and gives full attention. One person leads. [1]

  3. Confirm the patient

    Confirm identity with two identifiers against the consent and orders. [1]

  4. Confirm procedure and site

    State the procedure, the site and the side. Check that the site mark is visible. [1]

  5. Check other items

    Confirm correct position, allergies, needed equipment, implants and antibiotics if relevant. [1]

  6. Invite concerns

    Every team member can speak up. Any doubt stops the procedure until it is resolved. [1]

  7. Document the care

    Record that the time-out was done and who took part. [1]

Common errors

Practice it in Making Synapses

In Making Synapses you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.

Making Synapses cases that train this skill

15 Making Synapses cases train this skill: open the case library

Sources

  1. The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals

Facts and steps follow The Joint Commission, National Patient Safety Goals. Making Synapses is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.