Tag: ambulatory surgery

Are You Survey Ready? Lessons Learned and Compliance Tips

Are You Survey Ready? Lessons Learned and Compliance Tips

Are You Survey Ready? Lessons Learned and Compliance Tips Having been the recipient of a call from the front desk letting me know that a surveyor had entered the building, I was immediately filled with anxiety no matter how ready I thought I was. Even 

It’s Been a While…

It’s Been a While…

It’s Been a While… I started this blog seven years ago in front of a keyboard in scrubs in an office no bigger than a closet without a window outside a PACU. When I put those first words to paper, I wanted to reach out 

New Recommendations on Tuberculosis

New Recommendations on Tuberculosis

Did you know that the CDC has changed its recommendations on TB screening?   The CDC released updated recommendations for TB screening, testing, and treatment of health care personnel on May 17, 2019.   The changes: Healthcare workers that have tested negatively for TB do not need 

Why do nurses eat their young?

Why do nurses eat their young?

It is the industry’s dirty little secret: Nurses aren’t always nice to each other. In an environment where teamwork and trust are key for patient safety, this unfriendliness should never be tolerated. But it happens. I have always struggled with the cultural issue in our 

What was I thinking?

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 

Some practical thoughts about Risk Management

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 

Morale is worth the money

Morale is worth the money

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’m over here sewing patches on my cape

I’m over here sewing patches on my cape

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 

Six links to free training to meet your compliance needs!

Six links to free training to meet your compliance needs!

  I don’t know about you, but I find staff training challenging.  I’m NOT Oprah.  (YOU  get to learn about emergencies…lol!) I have this list of everything staff need to know that I’ve built from the compliance documents, use it to train new staff, and 

A planning guide for the holiday season from my school of hard knocks notebook

A planning guide for the holiday season from my school of hard knocks notebook

I don’t know about you, but I hate that we are already being bombarded with holiday stuff.  I just put my bathing suit away, realize that I am not in love with my winter wardrobe (I blame my wardrobe woes on too many years in