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 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 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
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
Happy Sterile Processing Week! This week is dedicated to all of the hardworking sterile processing professionals tirelessly working to ensure that every surgical instrument is safe and ready for use. Every procedure. Every Time. Each year, we take a week to recognize their hard work, but these clinical professionals are sending out thousands of instruments… Read More Celebrate Your Sterile Processing Superstars
I’m frustrated with the sterile processing department (SPD). I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not going to start bashing the department. Sure, errors are irritating. I’ve dealt with my fair share of holes in wraps, missing indicators, and even found a computer mouse in a tray once. So I understand how frustrating errors… Read More Change What You See in SPD
To tell you how The Circulating Life began, I have to go back to my first day in the operating room. It was November 7th, 2011, and I can remember it vividly. Although I considered myself an “experienced” nurse, I was not prepared for how different the operating room environment was from the bedside and… Read More Back to the Beginning: How The Circulating Life Got Started
Last fall we interviewed Dr. Jim Stobinski on the First Case podcast. Our topic was credentialing, and since I was right in the thick of gathering all of my required CEs for CNOR recertification, I really peppered him with all of my questions about recertification. He was very patient with all of my questions, and… Read More CSSM: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly