Ideas That Work: A Head Start

To stay on top of your daily demands, host a daily morning huddle to get your team leaders on the same page. It’s a small change, but one that can help you manage all the challenges that can come up in a day. Here’s how to host a great morning huddle:

• Keep it short. A 5-to-10-minute huddle gives everyone a chance to go over the day and week ahead.
• Get the right people in the room. I sit down with the OR charge nurse, the house charge nurse and the materials coordinator. Our nurses in the house and charge roles rotate on a weekly basis, so there are always new faces in the huddle.
• Solve problems together. Knowing your colleagues’ challenges lets you work out problems and brainstorm solutions as a team.

We’ve found our morning huddle gets our day off to a great start, and it helps us navigate any problems that might come up related to staffing, supplies or any last-minute changes to the schedule.

Erika Gjerde, RN, BSN
Carris Health Surgery Center
Willmar, Minn.
[email protected]