We’re all pretty familiar with the phrase, “the power of perfection,” or maybe, “the beauty of perfection,” but have you ever thought about the burden of perfection? It’s a strange, and somewhat depressing, thought. But in our world, it exists, and it’s something that’s so engrained in us as healthcare professionals, that I wonder if… Read More The Burden of Perfection – And How to Carry It
I’ve struggled to write this post – mostly because I know just how hard it is to work in the operating room, and I know how burdensome it can be to have to implement a new policy or checklist every other week. Oftentimes our policies and procedures read like the person who wrote them has… Read More What Happens When No One Is Watching?
In the operating room, we use the phrase “patient safety” an awful lot – for good reason, too. Everything we do hinges on providing our patients with a safe surgical experience. We confirm their identity, surgical site, and laterality multiple times before rolling back, we position them for their procedures in ways least likely to… Read More Effective Communication: The Foundation of Patient Safety
A couple of years ago, on a day like any other day in the OR, a patient was rolled into the room, put to sleep, and positioned for surgery. Their leg was prepped and draped, and everyone in the room was ready to start the procedure. The circulator called for the time-out, and as the… Read More A Proper Time-Out is Always Best Practice
When I started working in the operating room, I was taught that double gloving was only for orthopedics. In other specialties, most surgical teams just didn’t see the need to wear more than one set of gloves. Yes, orthopedics is a specialty that is exposed to more sharps than most, but the benefits of double… Read More Double Gloving: Two Gloves Are Better Than One
Back when I was in nursing school, I spent one of my clinical days in the operating room. It was very eye-opening. The circulator in the room let me stand as close as possible to the field so I could see everything. I watched a urologist insert penile implants during one case. I’ll admit, that… Read More Surgical Counts – Accuracy Keeps Everyone Safe
I have extremely dry skin. My hands look red and raw most days while I’m at work, and every winter, if I’m not really attentive to my skin, my knuckles and fingertips will crack, bleed, and generally just cause me no end of pain. It can be miserable. That’s just my skin – but throw… Read More Skin Care