What if surgery got the Weather Channel treatment and minute-by-minute projections of climate conditions in each OR?

It’s sunny and cool for the circulator and scrub in OR 1. They’re working with the surgeon they love, and they’ve pulled all the supplies they need. Everyone is chattering and smiling. Too bad you’re not assigned to that case. You’re not in OR 3, either, where it’s so warm that the patient isn’t buried under 10 blankets while awaiting induction. In contrast, it’s rain-forest sweaty in OR 4. It wasn’t like that before the case: When you recorded the temp and humidity, they were within the regulatory range (as defined by someone who’s probably never worked in an OR). But the thermostat is electronic, which means it has a mind of its own. You call maintenance — and leave a message, because they’re not in yet.

Drought conditions in OR 2, where a “get me the heck out of here” case slogs on toward noon. The staff needs a break in the worst way. The circulator is planning an expedition in search of a liter of room-temperature sterile water and 6 straws.

Storm clouds are breaking
Back in OR 3, an instrument is missing. Sterile processing says they don’t have it, it’s been marked as pulled. For which room and case? You can hear their shoulders shrugging over the phone. Glancing at the surgeon, you see dark clouds forming overhead.

The winds are picking up in OR 1 now, and here comes the lightning and thunder. It’s Dr. Stormy Weather, standing outside wondering why no one has notified him that the room’s running about 30 minutes late. The charge nurse is on the phone, too, wanting to know how much longer.

In OR 5, Dr. So What If I’m Late shows up for his first case without apology or explanation for the delay. You can see the windows frosting up over his attitude. The horizon hasn’t cleared for OR 1 yet. When their case finally finishes, turnover time takes longer than usual. Something about extra equipment needed for the next case that no one bothered to alert the staff to. A funnel cloud is seen touching down.

Sun’ll come out tomorrow
Take shelter if you have to in the face of all this weather, but as everyone knows, if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes and it’ll change.

As cold as OR 5 got, there were only scattered flurries, not a blizzard, and the case actually finished earlier than scheduled. A storm-chasing charge nurse located the instrument that OR 3 needed in OR 5’s cabinet. OR 1 did see a tornado touch down, but it went back up just as quickly. Once the case got started, the clouds parted for sunshine. Once OR 4’s thermostat started functioning again, everyone (and their tempers) began to cool off and anesthesia went looking for spare patient warming gear. The staff in OR 2 got lunch and even got to go home early.

At 1500, the shift and the day are over and the temperatures and storms have blown past. I hear someone humming “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in OR 1. With any luck, the damage wasn’t too bad, and we’ll be ready for the next day’s forecasts with our room assignments in the morning.