The OR has a language all its own. How we choose our words directly impacts the energy of the operating room. As Mother Teresa said, "Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." The OR should be a place of calm and positive energy. Be aware of the words you and others bring to this sanctuary of healing.

Courteous and respectful
What the nuns taught me really works. When you use words that show respect and kindness, positive energy abounds, cases flow and calmness is palpable. To use considerate and kind words, even in the face of high stress, shows character and self control. Even if the instruments aren't sterile, the arthroscopy camera is malfunctioning and my favorite tool is missing in action, I do my best to maintain a calm, collected and respectful demeanor. (My real secret is popping an Ativan in the a.m.) "What we sow around, comes around." After 23 years of practice, I recognize, more than ever, the value of courtesy and civility.

F Bombs
My father was a Marine and was dedicated to honor and integrity. He had absolutely no tolerance for foul language — especially in the presence of a woman. I inherited this virtue and am amazed how many unsavory comments are made regularly in the surgical suite. The OR can be very stressful, especially when the surgeon experiences difficulty, loses control and spirals downward in a runaway case. If surgeons and staff drop F Bombs, you can feel the energy shift. The foul language feeds the vortex of negative descent. Here, the surgeon, as captain of the ship, needs to stop, breathe and return the room to a positive state. If a sales representative curses in my room, I immediately call him on it. Needless to say, I think less of his character (and probably his product). If he continues, I remind him that I am a former boxer and we will finish this outside.

Terms of disrespect
Nothing, I mean nothing, gets my Irish up more than when a staff member or resident speaks of a patient in less than dignified terms. Terms like "gomer," "dirtbag" or "junkie" are met with a sharp reproof. The gomer is someone's grandfather. The dirtbag probably never had a break and may suffer from a mental illness and the junkie likely was endowed with genes and social factors that created a perfect storm for addiction. When these terms continue, you guessed it time to step outside.

Slang
Philly slang abounds in my OR, because we are located in an inner-city hospital. I have received a real education in cityspeak. Such talk relaxes, and is often quite humorous. Laughter restores calm and raises energy. As long as the slang doesn't cross the line, I welcome it, provided I understand the meaning. So the next time I hear the next patient is trippin', I have to recognize that he is overreacting, not stumbling in the PACU. Or, if I hear that the new, single scrub tech was hollering at some recovery room nurse, I have to know he is trying to ask her out, not yelling at her. Or, if I hear that the last patient was jammed up, I now know that she is feeling down, not constipated!