The Operating Room is a whole other universe, and all the usual rules that apply in the outside world tend to fall away in here. That is not to say that the OR is a bad place; quite the opposite, it is a very orderly and territorial environment. It lost its circadian rhythms just moments […]

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And all around the blogosphere . . . . a little of my own horn-tooting and kicking up my heels.
Grand Rounds 4:10 is up and running at Prudence M.D. I know what I’ll be reading this evening with my cup of fresh hot chai. Thank you for my inclusion with such esteemed company, Prudence.
SurgeXperiences, “the one […]

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My coiffure in the morning really gives me a lift.
But by the end of the day, it’s a collossal flop.
It just doesn’t seem right that at the end of my shift,
My hair should resemble a second-hand mop.
You see, while at work, I must stuff all my hair
Into a flimsy paper bonnet where it cannot be seen.
A […]

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Can anyone listen to that haunting refrain from Eleanor Rigby and not feel its sad message?
“Where do they all come from?”
Many of them come from our local nursing homes, and land in our ERs and ORs. Elderly people with little to no family, or concerned family, to advocate for them. People with chronic decubitus ulcers the […]

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Beajerry, at Cosmic Watercooler, has posted the most outstanding link about virtual hip surgery. It is animated, and literally walks you through the hip operation, allowing user participation and learning. I love this site! Thanks, beajerry!
 Change of Shift is up at Emergiblog - you get to read some of the best writing in the nursing blog world. […]

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I stockpile sick time.
I mean, like, I NEVER call out sick. Call me superstitious, but I don’t like to anger the “sick gods” and lie about a non-existent illness. That’s just me.
I also don’t bother with the flu shot. Call me stupid, but why would I want to introduce a dead virus into my body […]

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It’s up and running at Nurse Ratched’s Place. Don’t miss out on some of the cutest nurse photos you might ever see; plus some really great reading. I’m proud to be included.

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In my previous life, before I became an anesthetist, I had worked for years in critical care and PACU. I became quite familiar with the care of post-operative patients and the issues that surround operative care.
When I decided to start my family, I carefully read every book I could lay my hands on about a natural, well-planned and […]

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Imagine going to work everyday and the only thing you can see on your co-workers’ faces is their eyes. Such is the parallel universe that is the Operating Room.
We all wear masks in the OR. It is for our protection, and yours. Surgery can be messy; “things” can splatter. And our germs are nasty; all of them. […]

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What really goes on in the Operating Room while you are asleep?
I get asked this question by friends and family all of the time. “Are they talking about me?” “Laughing at me?” “Commenting about my thighs?”
None of the above, really.
Conversations in the OR can range from sports to politics to gossip, or, no conversation at […]

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