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
Conducting a fantastic pre-op interview can seem a little challenging if you’re new to the O.R. Our interactions with conscious patients are very limited. We introduce ourselves before surgery, do a quick interview, and then it’s off to dreamland for our patient while all of the work goes on around them. Yet, even though our… Read More Conducting A Fantastic Pre-Op Interview
So far, we’ve looked at 30 different things that are unique to our lives as O.R. people. It’s funny how we can see so much of the O.R. around our house – did you know an asepto makes a great bathtub toy? And it’s interesting to see how our perspective on life is shaped by… Read More You Might Work In The O.R. If…Part Three
Happy Friday! Last weekend, I shared with you Part One of this “You Might Work In The O.R.” series. (If you missed it, you can read it here) So many of you have let me know that you could relate to some – if not all – of them. Isn’t it funny how so… Read More You Might Work In The O.R. If…Part Two
Everyone that works in the O.R. has something in common – regardless of position. We all, in varying degrees, work under a heavy load of responsibility. I mean, every patient that we take into the operating room is putting their lives into our hands and they’re expecting us to give it back at the end… Read More You Might Work In The O.R. If… Part One
We’ve been camping all weekend – and it’s been fun! But now I have three hot, sweaty, and really dirty children. We’re going from the campground over to my parent’s house for Father’s Day. Won’t a crowd of sweaty kids be the perfect gift? I wouldn’t want my dad to forget what it was like… Read More Happy Father’s Day
The short answer is: Yes, I think a CNOR prep course is absolutely necessary. It will dramatically improve your ability to pass the test. Let me tell you about the CNOR and how a CNOR prep course helped me pass! If you’ve been in the O.R. for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about… Read More Is A CNOR Prep Course Necessary? – My Certification Experience
There are several rules of the operating room that everyone should abide by. I’m not saying that everyone does, I’m just saying that everyone should. So I’ve put together a list of 12 rules that make our operating world go ’round. Some of these are actually a little bit more like unrealistic expectations, but they… Read More 12 Rules of the Operating Room
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
I will never forget my first day on orientation in surgery. Total information overload – I had a deer-in-the-headlights look that everyone could see from a mile away. I watched a surgeon do a knee scope and I remember thinking, “What have I gotten myself into??!” My anxiety level was sky-high. I’m pretty sure I… Read More Orientation In Surgery: How To Be Successful
