I haven’t written a blog post since last October… Shame on me! In reflecting on my life the last 6 months, it’s been a whirlwind of big events, bigger decisions, and just living life. So, I figured it was time to write an update, because it’s definitely more than I could post on Facebook. So… Read More It’s Been a Minute… Here’s What’s New
This week on the First Case Podcast, we dove into a topic that always seems to spark debate in the OR: Is it okay to cover your back table? Listen to the podcast here! Now, picture this: You’ve got your instruments set up, you’re ready to go, and then… Bam! You’re delayed. Maybe anesthesia decided… Read More To Cover or Not to Cover … That is the Question
The operating room can be more than a little overwhelming at times. There’s a constant flurry of activity as the team prepares for and then performs surgical procedures. Every case seems to have equipment and supplies for days, there’s a million people, and every instruments has at least two different names, if not three. The… Read More The Hierarchy of Priority: Patient, People, & Paperwork
The operating room is a fast-paced, high-stakes environment where precision, teamwork, and vigilance are non-negotiable. Lives are on the line, every role matters, and every decision can positively or negatively impact patient care. Safe surgical care demands seamless collaboration between surgeons, nurses, techs, and anesthesia providers, so that we can achieve excellent outcomes. And while… Read More Battling Burnout in Nursing
This article is cross-posted on First Case Media. In conversations about the nursing profession, it’s not uncommon to hear phrases like “nursing is a calling” or “nursing is a passion.” These comments, while often well-meaning and somewhat glamorized, generally come from a place of admiration, attempting to honor the compassion and dedication nurses bring to their work.… Read More The Hidden Cost of Calling: How We’re Harming the Nursing Profession
This post is cross-posted on First Case and may contain affiliate links. Happy Thanksgiving! We have so much to be thankful for, not just today, but every day of the year. Family, friends, and maybe friends we like more than family, food, clothing, housing – we all have plenty to be grateful for and today… Read More Operating Room Top 10: Thanksgiving Edition
I frequently attend nursing conferences, including AORN, OR Manager, and AORN Chapter Conferences. They are so much fun! In October, I attended the Periop ConneCT conference in New Haven, Connecticut. It was an incredible conference, and I was honored to be selected as a speaker for this event. I’m going to give you a photo… Read More Nursing Conferences are Fun! My Latest Conference Experience in Connecticut
I’m not a food blogger, and I promise I’m not going to turn this into a food blog. However, I recently posted on LinkedIn about learning a new way to make buttermilk biscuits, and I connected it to being open to learning new things in every area of our lives, including the operating room. We… Read More The Best Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
In December, I served on a medical mission trip to Honduras. I had the privilege of working alongside world-class surgeons and surgical teams from across the country. It was my first time traveling overseas on my own, it was my first time serving on a medical mission trip, and it was an incredible, humbling experience.… Read More Day 1 in the OR: Finding Perspective in a Chaotic Case
Happy Perioperative Nurses Week! I hope that you are having a great week, and that your facility actually remembered to celebrate you this week! 😉 I’ve been an OR nurse for 12 years, and I absolutely love working in the OR. Since we’re celebrating this week, here are 12 reasons why I love working in… Read More 12 Reasons Why I Love the Operating Room
