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STAFFING
get an item delivered on time, but can't get it done — and it's not
another last-minute delivery that's quickly becoming a trend — do
what you can to get the device ready for the case in which it's needed
without shortcutting proper reprocessing. Of course, you should
never run implants — which are often brought in by reps — through
immediate-use sterilization cycles. And remember that handpieces
need time to cool before they're used; a surgeon or patient can be
burned by a handpiece that a rep tries to rush into the OR.
3
Ask for quiet. You want reps to stay as quiet as possible in the OR,
but you also understand that other facilities might need access to
them when questions arise about how their devices work — just as
you'd want them immediately available to your surgeons when they're
visiting elsewhere.
Reps shouldn't talk incessantly on the phone in your ORs, but they
also shouldn't be in and out of the room to take calls in the hall
(increased traffic increases infection risks). Consider giving reps 2
warnings for phone use before banning them from the OR. We ask
ours to limit outside communication to sending and receiving texts. So
far, that policy has been effective in limiting excess noise during our
procedures.
4
Limit socializing. Reps obviously have excellent social skills and
excel at building relationships with your surgeons and staff. But when
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