about the count. None of this was acceptable, of course. I educated
the staff regarding their scope of practice, encouraged nurses to
become the leaders in their room and reinforced their responsibilities
for surgical counts. Good calls, right?
As the physician stood in the doorway of my office and complained
loudly, he made a point to remind me of his status in the center. I cor-
dially thanked him and told him he would be a great resource for me
in my new position. That took the wind right out of his sails. We even-
tually had a very good relationship.
Find out what the issue really is. We had a habit of pitching in
and helping with turnovers. One of our nurses complained about
that practice and didn't want any help. When I watched her work, she
was methodical in her preparation. She always had what she needed,
had good turnovers and the physicians enjoyed working with her —
because she was always prepared. When we came in to help her, it
threw her off. If I had to do it over, I would ask everyone to let her do
'her thing' and if she needed help, she would ask. That's counterintu-
itive to the teamwork culture — but it worked in this situation.
Focus on solutions, not problems. A nurse complained in a staff
meeting about being scheduled for "first late" and questioned
the need to schedule a team that would stay over in the event that
cases go longer than expected. I didn't have to say much, because the
nurse sitting next to her asked if she had a solution. No, said the com-
plaining nurse, to which the second nurse said, "Well, the 'first late'
system will continue until we have a solution." Anyone can complain.
It takes thought, professionalism and critical thinking to come up with
solutions. Don't let your staff "throw up" on you, then leave your
office feeling better — only to leave you feeling the heaviness of more
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