Hi all,
I have 9 years of experience and currently work in the OR at another hospital in the twin cities and looking at moving to other facilities. I saw an open position at Southdale Hospital and was wondering what my current OR/SPD/Peri-Op peeps who are currently or previously employed there think about it? What is the culture like there? Do you wish you had never interviewed or do you wish you had found this place straight out of school?
I'm not looking for a perfect facility, I'm just trying to find a place that takes patient safety and sterility seriously. The place I'm at now fights so hard to just get the patient in the OR without having sterile instruments go do the case. Like the instruments will be in SPD still being processed while the case starts, then a majority of the time the tray is brought up dripping wet or with bioburden on it and our team is still expected to use it. There is serious push back on elective cases must still go even though we have no instruments sterile to do the case. I know no where is perfect. It would just be nice to work for a place that doesn't look at you like you're costing them money for trying to protect your patients. I've never seen somewhere fight so hard to do the wrong things. From management, surgeons, CSTs and RNs. I've actually had some of the surgeons tell me, "If there's bone or tissue or blood still in the tray and it's been through the sterilizer, it's sterile now."
My managers have basically told me not to look so close and that they can't do anything because SPD is not their department or our CSTs are not doing their point of use cleaning. My other coworkers and surgeons have said they no longer want me in their rooms because I will delay their cases and they just want to get it done. Its emotionally and physically exhausting working at this place. I'm just hoping for a place that every tray that I open isn't contaminated in some way.
So, with that being said, it doesn't even have to be Southdale Hospital. I am open to any type of facility or locations. Even willing to move. I just want a place where I can provide the best possible care to my patients. What places do you recommend?