Own It

Rectifying a Mistake 

Imagine that you’re in a procedure and nothing is going well. The environment has become very stressful, and you just made a small mistake. Maybe you gave the incorrect instrument to the field or forgot a step of the procedure, for example. The surgeon at this point chooses to vent and turns that anger towards you. What is the best solution in this situation? Own it! Take personal accountability for the mistake and take active steps to rectify the situation. Not only will this likely help defuse whatever situation is building, but also it will show the team that you are part of the solution. 

In situations like this, the best way to respond is to immediately fix the problem and don’t react to any comments. Always remember to keep a cool head. Most often, I’ve found that negative comments or attitude are about the situation—not you. If you handed the surgeon an incorrect instrument, expeditiously get the correct one in the surgeon’s hand. If you didn’t have what was needed for the procedure, ask for it and make it available to the surgeon as quickly as possible.  

Occasionally, the situation can become volatile and something inappropriate is said. In my experience, I’ve seen instruments thrown, and worked with a surgeon who commonly retorted “You’re killing my patient!” If something such as this happens, my advice remains the same, with a caveat. Do not react in the moment. Rectify the mistake and move on. However, after the procedure, further conversation is warranted, and the behavior needs to be addressed. It may take time, but if this is repeatedly how you handle situations, soon you will gain the respect of the team, and it won’t be long until people find out that you are dependable and take responsibility for your actions.  

Implementing Process Improvement 

Perhaps turnover time has become a hot topic in your department and the team is struggling to meet quotas. Sometimes, systems may not be in your favor or there are process improvements that need to occur to set you up for success. Even if nothing is working for you on a systems level, you still want to do your best. After all, we have a responsibility to our fellow coworkers, the surgeons, and most importantly, the patients. What can you do in this situation? Own it! Think through your workflow and find areas for improvement. Are you taking extra actions that whittle away precious time or waiting for another team member to do something that you could be doing? Instead, take accountability for your situation and start identifying and implementing solutions that you can control.  

A great way to begin this process is by taking a bird’s eye view of your process. Take a step back and evaluate your turnover. Try to answer these questions:  

• Does everyone have clear roles and responsibilities? 
• Do I have downtime, and if so, how am I utilizing that time? 
• Does any part of the turnover seem to be a common culprit for wasted time?  

In my practice, I have found that there is almost always something that can be improved. Sometimes, you’ll find that there are things you can do personally (eg, looking ahead at the next procedure and checking consent or history and physical in advance) to improve your times. Sometimes, you’ll find that a system is broken. In these situations, take the time to speak with your manager or leaders about how this system could improve. They will probably love the idea, and it shows that you are owning your situation.  

Responding to an Underperforming Coworker  

Have a coworker who is getting you down? Someone who isn’t pulling their weight to help the team and is constantly being negative? You can’t control their actions, but you can own your role. Elevate your performance, and don’t let them bring you down to their level. If they are constantly complaining, don’t give in to it. Focus on giving the best patient care that you can instead. If they are underperforming, try to pick up the slack.  

In my facility, we have a lot of travel staff. Often, I will be working with someone new and they aren’t familiar with the surgeon, procedure, or both. I do my best to keep a watchful eye on the surgical field and ensure that the scrub person has the next item available. If they don’t have it, I try to discreetly bring it to their attention and give it to them. Model this type of behavior in your facility. Once your coworker realizes that you are setting them up for success, their entire attitude may change. They are going to want to be part of the solution and step up their game. After they see that you are someone who “owns it” and has gained the respect of the team, they will want to model your behavior because they ultimately want the same thing. 

Conclusion 

As you can see, “owning it” is a way of life. It takes some time to get used to thinking this way, but I have put this at the forefront of my practice and have found this principle to be instrumental in the success that I’ve seen over the years. Perioperative nursing may seem daunting now, but I assure you that you can be successful if you just own it!