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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
Paula Watkins, RN, CNOR
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
"You Had to Be There …"
Why surgery's weird humor is a good thing.
I
think every new hire involved in patient care should take a turn in
surgery. Then they'd know not only what it's like to walk in our
shoes, but why we like those shoes so much.
Favorite smells for $500, Alex
One reason that comes immediately to mind is surgery's sense of humor.
The OR is a tough place to work, but at times it can be downright comi-
cal, something I don't think outsiders can truly appreciate.
For instance: Just the other day, the PA, scrub tech and I were talk-
ing about odiferous cases we'd experienced, and someone mentioned
the Mastisol cure. Mastisol: It's not just for dressings anymore. Crack
that ampule, smear some on your mask, and noth-
ing stinky is going to get
through that barrier.
This led to a discussion
about other favorite smells
and off-label uses. Me, I love
the scent of iodoform gauze.
It certainly cheers up a
room as you're closing a
smelly case. I'd wear it as a
fragrance, just to let people know
where I work. In the time it took to extu-
bate a patient and move him to PACU, my
colleagues and I came up with a commercial
jingle to sell iodoform guaze at
the cosmetics counter.
