1 4 9
A P R I L 2 0 1 5 | O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T
too helpful. Like when I returned to find my back table and Mayo
stand completely rearranged. "I moved a few things around, the way I
like them," she said. "You can move it back if you'd like." I had to play
"Where's Waldo?" just to find the pick-ups.
5. Seat shiners. Maybe you know a charge nurse who never actually
leaves her desk or office. She has no idea who's working or what's
going on in any OR. She uses "delegation" to pass on her responsibili-
ties to others. If you look at her chair when she finally gets up at
lunchtime or the end of the day, you'll find it conforms to her fanny.
6. The uncompassionate. I once warned a resident who was poking and
prodding and discussing a patient as though she were a throw pillow
not to touch my patient again until after induction. I'm ashamed to
overhear fellow nurses judging their patients. Our responsibility is to
assist in treatment, not to tsk-tsk their life-choices or roll our eyes at
the situations they're in.
7. The unkempt. Hey, scrub techs, sterile processing called. Please
don't send blades down in the pans. Quick turnaround and hidden
hazards don't mix. Also, if you make sure all the instruments are there
when you send a tray down, you won't have to get cranky when we
send up an incomplete set.
8. Litterbugs. Note to everyone, from the lounge lizards: Would you
mind picking up after yourself in the break room? You leave your trash
everywhere but in the can. The half-empty cups of coffee you poured
at 0600 are still there at noon. No one's going to wash your dishes just
because you left them in the sink. Sure, we could tidy up the place our-
selves, but we're kind of busy dodging other work. OSM
Ms. Watkins can be reached at pwatkins12@comcast.net.