The Daily Adventures of Surgical Leadership
Some days, it’s easy to forget why we are “here”. Working in surgery can be quite challenging. Being in charge can be even more challenging. Have you ever taken a mental inventory of your career choices that brought you to where you are? I know…
As a nurse, a surgical leader, and a consultant, I have been through many surveys. I have been on the sidelines, assisted with readiness, been responsible for answering questions, and led the process. I have been through state, Medicare and accreditation surveys. They are…
Risk management can be challenging. We know that we are responsible for “managing risk”, but what does that really mean? In practical terms, we support a culture of safety to reduce risk as it relates to our daily operations. If you think about it, so…
We have all heard the horror stories…of nurses using used needles and syringes, using unsafe techniques, using the same fluid bags or vials, and other of improper injection practices, making patients sick, or at minimum, requiring notification and testing of exposed patients. These unsafe injection…
I have recently been working with a new manager who is just learning about her center. She’s bright, enthusiastic, experienced, has great critical thinking skills, the right temperament, and should be a great success. She’s also frustrated, and I’m trying to help her alleviate…
So, today is a milestone for me. It’s my birthday, and I have been writing this blog for four years this month. To honor the occasion, I thought I would switch it up a bit and be a little reflective. I didn’t really start writing the…
I once had an employer ask me to attend an out of state conference. When I initially heard about the conference, I was interested in the content and locale, and was looking forward to it. Then, I heard that the same employer had wanted about…
I have worked in ambulatory surgery since 1995. I love the safe quality care our industry provides. When people ask me why we are good at what we do, my answer is always simple. We specialize in one thing. Surgery. As with any business, when…
Have you ever had a day when someone comes to you and says, “we don’t have any (supply name here), and the case is scheduled to start in 10 minutes!” ? I know I have. While I don’t have a magic wand to solve this,…
Being in a leadership position is, for lack of a better word-challenging. But, no offense to those non-surgical leaders, who may start their day at say, some late hour like 8:30, and then maybe actually go to a restaurant for lunch, or grab a call…