5 West Nursing

A 5 West Staff writes:

What Has happened to our thermometers?
None of the blue machines have them!!
We need to get the machines repaired.

Well for some reason our blue vital sign machines are missing some important parts. However, they still do work. Although I could see how inconvenient that would be to have to lug or carry on an extra thermometer when in fact one machine can do it all.

I suppose just like the rest… for people who are in charge of the maintenance of certain equipment (but don’t use that equipment at all), it is not a priority for them whenever something goes wrong with it.

Point and case: the non-working keyboard by 5 Wester’s corner.

For almost a week the computer by 5 Wester’s corner has downgraded itself to an expensive paper weight. Someone had probably spilled some water or coffee on the keyboard rendering it useless. Numerous calls have been made to the IS department to have the keyboard replaced. One staff member mentioned that IS replied with “you still have 2 other functional computers” (apparently not their priority). Eventually they got to it, and after hours of analysis by 2 IS personnel they declared that the keyboard is broke. I don’t know about you, but the moment you turn on the computer you know, keyboard is broke. (Hint: no lights! Not rocket science, just common sense.)

Bottom line, anything that disrupts the natural flow of work and efficiency is a priority! It doesn’t matter how small the issue may be, as long as there is an unnecessary inconvenience, we have to jump on it and fix it. As you know, “Patch the hole while it is small before the ship sinks!”. This also brings up another issue…complacency.

These little acts of complacency builds up, and before you know it, we get immuned to the pursuit of excellence, which, is what we as an institution is striving for. How can we excemplify service excellence in a BIG way, when we cannot even perform it in a LITTLE way? It is the attention to trivial detail which is a true measure of SERVICE EXCELLENCE. There is no doubt about that. This is what sets us apart from the rest of the health care world that claims to set the standard of excellence in service.

So… whatever did happen to those thermometers? I just hope it didn’t get left in the patient’s a******!