Leadership

Eight staff scheduling tips to make staffing problems easier

I have found that staffing has always been one of the biggest challenges in surgical leadership. Even with the best plan in place, Murphy’s Law prevails. Someone tends to call out on the one day when you are super busy, relying on yourself as plan …

What was I thinking?

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 …

Preparing for that next survey? Here are a couple of things I’ve learned lately.

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 …

Some practical thoughts about Risk Management

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 …

Feeling Safe about Safe Injection Practices

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 practices, …

The Preference Card Dilemma

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 …