Behind Closed Doors: Love at First Slice

You wouldn’t have devoted your life to surgery if you hadn’t fallen head over heels the first time you laid eyes on an OR. Sure, your commitment has been tested over the years — especially the last two, I’m guessing — but you’ll continue to show affection for your one true calling through the five languages of love.

Words of affirmation. I get all warm and fuzzy inside when a surgeon compliments me for working hard to start a case on time or the nurse manager recognizes my hustle during a morning huddle. Make the effort to acknowledge the hard work of your staff. Positive feedback makes them feel appreciated and valued. It leaves no doubt in their mind where they stand.

• Physical touch. Have you seen the way a nervous patient looks into your eyes when you hold their hand and tell them everything’s going to fine? It might not be the same romantic glance you get from your partner, but in that moment it’s true love.

• Quality time. My heart melts when a surgery that’s expected to be an adrenaline-inducing challenge turns out to be a slow-paced procedure that allows me to get all my charting done. Well, most of it. No matter the case, it never seems to last long enough for me to note the implants used, dressings applied and meds given.

It’s impossible not to feel a deep sense of connection with colleagues during the shared experience of surgery. Having everyone in the room engaged in a common goal stirs strong emotions inside of me. There is no greater feeling than the Zen-like flow state that occurs when we’re all on our game and dialed in to perform the perfect surgery.

• Acts of service. Sometimes expressions of love are not about what you say, but what you do. One of my co-workers in pre-op says her favorite part of the job is getting that difficult IV stick started on the first try, even though the patient probably doesn’t fully appreciate the compassionate care they received.

Support your team in practical ways by wordlessly stepping in when they feel overwhelmed and taking great pleasure in shouldering the burden of managing the endless tasks and responsibilities  involved in running a successful surgical facility.

• Gifts. It’s always exciting when you receive a Starbucks card from your boss for going above and beyond, but the gift of laughter keeps on giving and helps us cope with whatever life throws our way. A scrub tech once told me she wants to make at least one patient smile per shift. Me, I have loftier aspirations. Smiles are nice, but I shoot for belly laughs. A little levity during stressful days cuts the tension and lowers everyone’s blood pressure and pulse rate. Even on my worst days, the surgery-specific jokes and cartoons on my Pinterest board never fail to fill my heart with joy and laughter.

Whether you say the three words everyone wants to hear or express them in other ways, never hesitate to let your fellow periop pros know how much they mean to you. Working together through the successes and failures and the joys and stresses of surgery while always putting the well-being of patients above your own truly is a labor of love. OSM