mbrj

I work in a small OR in CT. We are short staffed at the moment. When one of the two person 3-11 shift calls out, someone on the day shift must cover 3-11 on a 1st call basis. Our manager is having trouble finding volunteers & often works all or part of the call shift because no one steps up-esp. when it's obvious the shift will be busy. I would like to know what other OR's do in this type of situation. So far our staff has the following ideas: >We do have a second team on call - one suggestion is to require the person on 2nd call to move up to first call. >Another is for "someone" to keep a list of staff who call out when they are on call. The person at the top of the list would be "mandated" to take the 1st call unless they could find someone to sub for them. They would then be off the list until they called out again. Any other ideas would be welcomed(FYI Our call worked is paid at time & 1/2- On call time is pd min. wage per hr.

We have a few surgeons who use water for CA cases> One is just out of his residency, 2 is a breast CA specialists. Same rationale. I remember surgeons using a fresh clamp for every bleeder on a CA case-then using the same scissors for each cut. This was before staples were invented. Haven"t seen that technique in years-thank goodness, because you could use 50 plus clamps for one case. Of course, we didn't count instruments then, either!

Connecticut...we get minimum wage per hr. for on call, time & 1/2 if called in plus 1 hr. for travel time.