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...

In addition to marking the correct surgery site, we always place patients' ID and allergy wristbands on the side thier surgeries will be performed. It's a simple safety check that...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

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...

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: Visual Aid; Detailed Guidebook Prepares Patients for Surgery

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

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

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

Ideas That Work: Seeing Is Believing; Pictures Are Worth a Thousand Warnings

Ideas That Work: Cap and Gown; Caps Put Smiles on Kids' Faces