I love to sketch and draw in my free time, so during pre-op clinic visits I ask patients what kind of drawing they want me to make on the bandages I'll place over their scars...

Our PACU staff used to ask that question a lot because we didn't have a designated place to put them. When patients handed over their glasses in pre-op, we'd affix...

Looking for a better way to organize your inventory of frozen tissue grafts? To improve efficiency when preparing for a case, we developed a system that involves placing...

When surveyors come knocking, the worst thing you can do is keep them waiting while you scramble around searching to find the documents they asked to see. That's why...

Patient satisfaction surveys and comments from providers trying to communicate with patients indicated that the ambient noise in our small pre/post-operative area was...

We use a free game app (kahoot.com) to turn ho-hum staff meetings into fun, interactive learning sessions. It's easy to input a series of multiple choice or true-false...

The disposable plastic bags we used to use to transport flexible cystoscopes to and from the sterile processing department cost $1.80 each. Each of our four...

Our facility knew the benefits of administering IV acetaminophen preoperatively to reduce post-op pain, but it was always in short supply or cost prohibitive....

The one- and two-gram IV piggyback infusion bags of the antibiotic cefazolin we were using exclusively in 2018 were almost always on backorder and delivery...

Humidity levels in your ORs should be between 30% and 60%, a range that can be difficult to maintain. That's why I had our HVAC company install a computer program...

The sterile processing department is not an easy place to work. If you want to make sure new sterile processing techs mesh well with the current team and...

Looking for a fun and effective way to weigh less? Hold your own "Biggest Loser" competition and award the staff members who shed the most pounds....

Over the past few years, a number of employees who work in our health system's outpatient surgery center have become new moms. When they returned...

With all the pressure central sterile staff are under to keep cases flowing through high-volume facilities, the last thing you want to do is give them an excuse to avoid...

Ideas That Work: Greening The OR; Segregate Waste at the Point of Use

Behind Closed Doors: She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not; RN ISO that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Ideas That Work: Team Building; Let Staff Show Their True Colors

Ideas That Work: Sticky Solution; Gum Speeds Up Post-Op Digestive Function

Ideas That Work: Secret Room; Help Staff Spot Mistakes in Seconds

Ideas That Work: Visual Aid; Detailed Guidebook Prepares Patients for Surgery