•HRES 831 IH 
Whereas it is the right of every patient to receive the highest 
quality of care in all surgical settings; 
Whereas a patient is the most vulnerable and unable to make 
decisions on their own behalf during a surgical or 
invasive procedure due to anesthesia or other sedation; 
Whereas improved communication among the surgical team 
and a reduction in medical errors in the operating room 
are essential for optimal outcomes during operative or 
other invasive procedures; 
Whereas the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, 
the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Or-
ganizations, the American College of Surgeons, and the 
American Society for Healthcare Risk Management cele-
brated a National Time-Out Day on June 23, 2004, to 
promote the adoption of the Joint Commission on Ac-
creditation of Healthcare Organizations’ Universal Pro-
tocol for preventing wrong site surgery errors in U.S. op-
erating rooms; 
Whereas the United States Senate during the 109th Congress 
supported a National Time-Out Day in 2005 on behalf 
of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, 
the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Or-
ganizations, the American College of Surgeons, and the 
American Society for Healthcare Risk Management to 
promote the adoption of the Joint Commission on Ac-
creditation of Healthcare Organizations’ universal pro-
tocol for preventing errors in the operating room; 
Whereas the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, 
joined by coalition partners, celebrated a National Time- 
Out Day on June 22, 2005, for the purpose of promoting 
safe medication administration practices and the Associa-
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•HRES 831 IH 
tion of periOperative Registered Nurses distributed ‘‘Safe 
Medication Administration Tool Kits’’ to more than 
5,000 hospitals and 13,000 nurse managers or educators; 
Whereas the 109th Congress passed the Patient Safety and 
Quality Improvement Act of 2005 to provide for the im-
provement of patient safety and to reduce the incidence 
of events that adversely affect patient safety; 
Whereas the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses 
develops and issues with coalition partners universally-ac-
cepted authoritative statements, recommended guidelines, 
best practice guidelines, and competency statements for 
how to provide optimal care for patients in the operating 
room, and there is nationally-focused attention on im-
proving patient safety in all healthcare facilities through 
the reduction of medical errors; 
Whereas the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses, 
the recognized leader in patient safety in the operating 
room, promotes the highest quality of patient care during 
all operative or invasive procedures; and 
Whereas the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses 
will designate and celebrate National Time Out Day on 
June 21, 2006, and each third Wednesday of June there-
after to promote patient safety and optimal outcomes in 
the operating room by focusing on the reduction of med-
ical errors, fostering better communication among the 
members of the surgical team, and collaborating with co-
alition partners to establish universal protocols to in-
crease quality and safety for surgical patients: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 831 IH 
(1) supports the goals and ideal of an annual 
National Time Out Day as designated by the Asso-
ciation of periOperative Registered Nurses for ensur-
ing patient safety and optimal outcomes in the oper-
ating room; and 
(2) congratulates perioperative nurses and rep-
resentatives of surgical teams for working together 
to protect patient safety during all operative and 
other invasive procedures. 
Æ 
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