Hiding and hoarding supplies

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Specializes in PeriOperative.

Seriously not cool.

Especially when there is one or two of a certain item in the hospital and someone unilaterally decides to *move* it and neglects to tell anyone else in the OR where it is.

I'm sure this kind of thing happens everywhere. My strategy for dealing with it is less than effective (...mud wrestling). Anyone have a suggestion that won't get me suspended?

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Specializes in Trauma Surgery, Nursing Management.

I know what you mean! We have the same problem, and the culprit is usually a tech who is trying to be helpful by "saving" the item in his locker, but when he is out or on vacay, we get screwed.

The only way I know how to solve the problem is to implant RFID tapes on instruments and then program it to a GPS! Seriously, I don't know how to solve this problem, but it is frustrating as heck.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

I would allow mud wrestling or hot oil wrestling. I would not suspend you for it.... they call that kinda stuff team building. ;)

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Specializes in PeriOperative.

Canes, you are way too nice! I don't think anyone (in my OR at least) stashes stuff to be helpful.

Argo, if I can make enough money selling tickets, I would so do it.

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Specializes in 2 years school nurse, 15 in the OR!.

I think every OR has that problem. Sometimes it's a nurse who wants to "run to the rescue" when he/she is the only one who knows where it is. It's actually pretty annoying...

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Specializes in O.R. Nursing - ENT, CTC, Vasc..

No one does that here...luckily we always have what we need, so there is no need to hide or stash. What I do wonder about is, when preference cards for certain cases aren't updated with important info or supplies but the same people always seem to know exactly what to have, til someone different is assigned to a case and has to hear guff from the surgeon who is used to having it... I wonder if some people do it on purpose, because it is very easy to update a preference card and our team is good at keeping them up. ;)

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Specializes in PeriOperative.
I think every OR has that problem. Sometimes it's a nurse who wants to "run to the rescue" when he/she is the only one who knows where it is. It's actually pretty annoying...

That is exactly what is going on. Do you address it with management? Confront the individual? Stoop to their level? I've always tried to rise above it, but it's gotten really out of hand in the past few months and needs to be dealt with.

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Specializes in 2 years school nurse, 15 in the OR!.

I've found confronting the individual does no good. Just makes it worse! It's gotten really bad where I work too, so it's gone to management. We have a new manager and she's trying to get it under control, it's a little better but still not great. The nurse/techs must feel threatened or something so they hide stuff to make it look like they are the savior and are the only ones who knows where it is. I wish I had the answer for you. Let me know if you figure out something that works :)!

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It's a common practice in Australia too and it's called "gatekeeping"...the keeping of information (be it where supplies are or specific surgeon requirements) in order to make oneself look better than others, to belittle new or inexperienced staff or just make sure that their list goes smoothly and to hell with anyone else. There has been research done into it here in Australia (search Riley & Manias).

It is behaviour that is definitely not on in my books...

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I tend to "stash" certain items around inconspicuous places just in case I would need it in a pinch. (i.e. Empty irrigation bottles for emptying foley bags during procedures.) We also tend to have a cabinet in the room which serves for holding specialty supplies for the cases most likely to be booked in that room. (i.e. CV, ORTHO, etc...)

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