When you work in the O.R., there are a few items that you just have to have. Call them your “essentials” or maybe your “must-haves.” You use them (or wear them) every single day, and without them, you just feel naked at work. (OK, so hopefully you’re not really naked at work, because that would… Read More 6 Essentials for Working in the O.R. {Part One}
Let’s be honest. We hear some really misleading things on a daily basis. You might even call them outlandish. Most of them just make us roll our eyes and move on. Some give us a good laugh. And then there are those statements that we hear that make us immediately think, “Um, yeah, no –… Read More Lies, Half-Truths, and Other Misleading Things
Nurses’ Week is celebrated every year in May. It’s scheduled to coincide with the birthday of Florence Nightingale – the founder of modern nursing. Do you ever wonder what Florence would say if she saw what nursing looked like today? Ok, so hopefully she wouldn’t say that! But maybe some days she got as frustrated… Read More Happy Nurses’ Week!
If you’ve worked in an O.R. for more than ten minutes, you know that everything’s not always coming up roses. Sometimes, it’s all you can do not to cry your eyes out when a co-worker asks you how things are going in your room. Some days you lose your mind when you’re told you can’t… Read More Just One of Those Days…
On April 16, 2019, Washington State Senator, Maureen Walsh, disparaged millions of nurses with her comments that “nurses probably play cards for a considerable amount of the day.” These comments not only maligned our entire profession, but they also displayed an enormous amount of ignorance from Sen. Walsh. Nurses don’t “play cards.” We aren’t lounging… Read More Nurses Don’t “Play Cards”
I distinctly remember my first day in the O.R. Even now, when I think back on it, I still remember feeling excited and amazed, yet also overwhelmed and scared to death. Everything was so different than what I had always imagined the operating room to be! Then you add in the strange equipment and thousands… Read More Real-World Advice for New O.R. Nurses
Would all of the certified nurses please stand up? Ok, you can sit back down now… Did you know that today is Certified Nurses Day? Certified Nurses Day began back in 2008 as a way to bring public recognition and appreciation to all of the nurses who choose to pursue certification in their specialties. Margretta… Read More Certified Nurses Day
I haven’t answered a call light in 12 years. The most use my stethoscope gets is when my kids pull it out to play doctor. I don’t spend an entire shift assigned to the same 4-5 patients and I don’t know what they love, what they hate, or what they plan to get back to… Read More Patient Care in the OR is Different – not Non-Existent
It’s February – the month of love and all things sappy and romantic. Can you tell I’m a fan? Ha! But, since it’s almost Valentine’s Day, making a list of things we love seems appropriate. Don’t you think? On any given day, I can think of a million different reasons why working in the O.R.… Read More 7 Reasons to Love the O.R.
The Joint Commission (JC) surveyed my hospital last week. What a stressful week! Management was in a tizzy, running around making sure that everyone was obeying every rule at all times. We were quizzed on our policies and procedures, and reminded about everything leadership thought we might get asked about. I guess they might say… Read More Surviving The Joint Commission: 4 Helpful Tips