Margaret Mead, American cultural anthropologist, once said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that ever has." This is one of my favorite quotes about collaboration and commitment; it speaks to the fact that no matter the size of the team of people you are working with, change can be achieved with dedication and thoughtfulness.
 
Keep those two last words in your mind as you think about your own team(s) within the hospital/facility. Do you work together? Or are you working against each other, most times unknowingly, and pointing fingers when something goes wrong? What about taking all the credit when things go as planned? Yes, it is easier to blame someone else for a failed project but isn’t it more effective and impactful to assess each situation as a team? The answer here is yes. But how do you get the ‘others’ to listen? Dedication and thoughtfulness.
 
The newest education course from Key Surgical, “Collaborate and Communicate Across Disciplines: No, Seriously!” reinforces that it’s not ‘them,’ or ‘they’ but the lack of communication and collaboration across disciplines that are the real culprits dividing the OR and the SPD. I’m excited about this new course, authored by Jamie Zarembinski, CCSVP and Michelle Lemmons, RN, BSN, PHN, CNOR for a few reasons. The first reason is that this topic can never be discussed too much and in fact should be our everyday mindset in our careers– until we are truly working together as a team. The second reason is that this new course provides you with research, tools, and practical interventions that can be used to overcome many of the challenges associated with communication and collaboration within teams and between departments.
 
“Collaborate and Communicate Across Disciplines: No, Seriously!” is now available to you for 1 CE credit. Join the rest of your peers who are learning and earning with Key Surgical education. You’ll be glad you did.
 
 
Alana Suomela
Director, Corporate Marketing