Last-minute changes to the surgical schedule, surgeon requests or cases that require specialized instrumentation could throw a wrench into how smoothly instruments flow through your facility. Installing a whiteboard in the hall...

You want to know the likes, dislikes and quirks of every staff member on your team, but it’s not always easy to get to know the person behind the mask. To remedy this issue, one problem-solving director came up with a simple way...

Supply chain issues during the pandemic caused deliveries of Diet Coke, Mountain Dew and other sodas to be delayed at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, S.D. When the soda deliveries went away in 2020, the facility’s leadership...

When Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., wanted to step up its sustainability efforts, placing more recycling bins around the facility was a great start. But too many staff were still uncertain about what should be recycled...

Leadership at Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan (OAM) at Midtowne in Grand Rapids wanted a better way to communicate with staff in the event of an emergency. In March 2020, the facility started using the GroupMe app,...

It can be difficult to keep busy employees present — physically and mentally — during staff meetings. That’s why leadership at Heartland Surgery Center in Kearney, Neb., offers three separate gift card drawings...

Getting operating rooms ready for the first case of the day and cleaning the spaces between cases demands plenty of teamwork, coordination and hard work. You can use...

Approach greening your facility as a strong and steady tortoise would, rather than a hare sprinting out of the box. “Build a strong foundation,” says Kaeleigh Sheehan,...

Are you are on a first-name basis with the men and women who bring important supplies and equipment to your facility on a weekly (or sometimes daily) basis? Bill Willis, RN, the ASC director at Vance Thompson Vision in...

The administration at Heartland Surgery Center in Kearney, Neb., doesn’t wait around for standard holidays to let loose and have fun. “We celebrated national coffee day and had a local coffee shop deliver drinks,” says...

Hardworking professionals in ORs and sterile processing departments should respect each other’s efforts, but consternation between the two groups is often more common...

Focusing on the clinical aspects of multiple complex procedures during a busy day of surgery is stressful for surgical teams, so it’s understandable that the basic steps...

Every time we send out a staff engagement survey, we include the following question: Does your manager have a safety-first mindset? The question may seem out of place on an engagement survey,...

Effective sharps safety is a multifaceted endeavor. It requires a holistic approach that incorporates mindfulness, effective communication, safety-engineered devices,...

Patients who are being prepped for surgery are often nervous and distracted with what’s going on around them. It’s important to ensure they comprehend and correctly confirm what’s noted on consent forms before...

Enhancing employee safety is an ongoing process, not a one-and-done initiative. That’s what led Brandy Ginzinger, RN, director of surgical services at UCF Lake Nona Medical Center in Orlando, to create her department’s...

Most people who make a mistake feel embarrassed, but often these experiences can be a valuable learning tool. In fact, sharing what could have gone wrong with colleagues helps them avoid similar missteps. That’s why staff...

You’d be hard pressed to find someone who knows more about proper instrument care than Linda Gomes. The former surgical tech used to work in the sterile processing...

Reprocessing techs at outpatient ophthalmic facilities don’t often deal with grossly contaminated instruments, so it helps to alert them when tools are in need of extra attention before sterilization. “Enzymatic detergents...

Reading about a wide range of topics and people helps to build awareness about the importance of cultural diversity, says Crystal N. Johnson-Mann, MD, an assistant professor of minimally invasive and bariatric surgery...