Honestly, I’m the kind of person who is thankful year-round, not just at Thanksgiving time. Every day I’m thankful for my parents, a good friend group, and all the wonderful things God has blessed me with. I am also very thankful for my job in the OR as well, even though we all know we face many challenges every day.
As Thanksgiving Day approaches, and we stop to focus on everything that we have to be thankful for, I wanted to share a few things that I'm thankful for in the OR. It’s so easy to focus on the negative, so let me highlight some of the good stuff!
1. Anti-Fatigue Mats — These things have saved my knees and feet on more than one 24+ hour shift where I scrubbed the entire time.
2. An instrument tray without the little “missing” tag on it — You know you love it when you have a complete set! No running off to go find that one item that’s missing - it's glorious.
3. The juice and graham crackers in the post-op areas — Who hasn't sneaked over to that area and grabbed a quick snack in between cases to keep the energy flowing? Seriously, it's the nectar of the gods some days...
4. A thank-you card from a patient or their family — We in the OR don’t get to form long-lasting relationships with our patients, and sometimes it may seem like they won't remember us. So when you see that thank you card and thoughtful words from a patient it really is a good reminder of how much of a difference we truly make.
5. A correct count after an all day, multi person, multi tray procedure — Need I say more?!
6. Warm blankets from the warmer — Let's be honest, they’re not just for patients!
7. Cancelectomies — Best. Ever.
8. A fully stocked scrub rack in the morning with correct fitting scrubs! Bonus points if the scrubs have been starched, too!
9. When a patient is completely ready for surgery, and you don't need to run around and fill in the missing pieces. All labs and tests performed, all pre-op meds given, and H&P updated!
10. Ability to be fashionable — We've got the colorful, printed lead, stylish safety glasses, designer compression socks, and who can forget all kinds of scrub hats!
I'm thankful for so much, but this list is just a sampling of some of the things I'm thankful for each and every day. We get so caught up in the crazy of our department, it's nice to take a step back and recognize what we have to be thankful for.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lindsey
