Roles of Nurses in Surgical Site Markings

In December 2004, in response to an inquiry, the Board reviewed information published by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) entitled, “Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery” (July 1, 2004); and “Frequently Asked Questions about the Universal Protocol for Preventing Wrong Site, Wrong Procedure, Wrong Person Surgery.”  

The Board advised that surgical marking should be performed as indicated by JCAHO.  

In 2009, The Joint Commission revised their information on Surgical Site Markings.  A link to The Joint Commission's website is below:

Joint Commission - Surgical Site Markings