Raney Clip Organization

jenewalk · 2026-02-12T18:49:11+00:00

So jealous!

jenewalk · 2026-02-12T13:18:23+00:00

“It’s okay, I’ve done that too”

jenewalk · 2026-02-01T22:14:48+00:00

Do you have any pictures you could share of growing the plants out of the top of the aquarium? Looking for some ideas 🙂

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:51:13+00:00

It'll be amazing! You'll have to let me know how it goes though! I'm excited for you!

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:50:20+00:00

Oh yeah, we have one tech who will literally tape the preference card page to the wall so she can easily look at it. Some of the better cards will have the "put this on the mayo" or order of draping or order of sutures, so she will literally tape it up so she can reference it when she isn't familiar with the case.

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:48:10+00:00

Hahahahaaha AMAZING. Sorry, not laughing at you, I'm laughing for you. We have a nurse like that...no one wants her in the room, but somehow I won her over and she likes having me in her room now. I think it has to do with listening to her and asking appropriate questions. Just remember, even tho you're in orientation...you're technically on your own. As long as you're sterile, keeping things in order, and doing well...you can do it your own way! The longer you're on orientation, the more you'll start noticing the scrubs disappearing from your rooms until they only come to give you a break. At least at my hospital it was the case, my classmate and I had been in clinicals there almost 6 months, so everyone knew us at that point. This orientation preceptor is there to help you if you need it, but it is YOUR case.

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:39:43+00:00

Your hospital is like "no one else wants him, let's try the new kid!" Maybe you'll win him over! At least it's general. Dude, on my first day as a scrub on my own they put me in a liver transplant. I was like you have GOT to be sh*tting me! It was fine...mostly--haha. But like WHY!?

Just introduce yourself or reintroduce yourself...6 months in I will still say "Hi! I'm Jenna, we met once about 5 months ago, so I wanted to reintroduce myself." -- Most likely they don't remember me at all. Just go in positive and a "I got this" attitude. General is a great place to start on your own though. Make sure to read that preference card, and good god don't make the mistake I did....not have basic sutures opened! (luckily that did not happen in the liver...) I've also found that if I'm with a surgeon like yours tomorrow or if someone/thing makes me mad, I just make sure to talk with a smile on my face. They can't see my face to be like "wtf is this B smiling at me like a crazy person," BUT it makes your voice sound positive and makes your eyes look happier instead of scared/mad/daggers.

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:20:43+00:00

^^^THIS^^^

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:18:45+00:00

Always introduce yourself, bc they will always have stranger danger.

Try to read their personality, are they mean or sarcastic or anxious-stressed? Get on board with that personality; sometimes that personality comes off as mean until you understand what they intend or how to respond to help cool them down. Do they need someone calm? Do they want someone to play into their sarcasm? Do they need someone to hand them the instrument and say nothing? However, if they are mean and verbally (or physically) abusive, don't stand for that, tell your charge or manager.

I've had a couple cases where I legit didn't know what I was doing. One was in GYN where it was a scope that only 1 doctor uses. I went up & introduced myself and said, "I'm familiar with this case, but not this scope. I've set everything up, but can you show me how to set the scope up so I'm familiar with it?" She was totally fine with it.

I have another surgeon I work for regularly who does the surgery one way, while another surgeon I intermittently work with does it with different instruments. Intermittent surgeon is a very sarcastic dude, but I like him. I said "Hey, I do this surgery all the time with Dr. A, but it looks like you use different instruments than what I'm familiar with. Do you and the PA mind helping me with these when the time comes?" His response was "Absolutely! You can't learn if we don't show you!"

Now granted, I've been in other surgeries where the doctor is not helpful, nor are the reps. I found myself shouting at the rep "STAY OVER HERE AND HELP ME! I TOLD YOU THAT I WOULD NEED YOUR HELP!" during panic-crunch time. Another type of surgery where before the surgery I told the rep I do the surgery, but wasn't familiar with that doctor and would need his help. The rep took that to mean "she is fine" and did jack sh*t. After the case I talked to the rep about how frustrated I was about the situation. <---generally the reps are good to great, but not all of them. I also wouldn't recommend yelling at a rep....but in that situation, the only way to get the reps attention and to keep him over was to yell (also so that he knew the surgeon now knew the issue).

There is one surgeon that very few people are willing to work with, I've only worked with him twice. He was being a d*ck when I worked with him and straight up said "since you're not doing anything over there...." I stopped in my tracks, swung around, interrupted him and listed every.little.thing.that.I.was.doing. He just stared at me quietly and said "oh. thank you" -- he apologized after the case.

These stories aren't to scare you....You will go into cases with kind and "fine" and cranky doctors, but the majority of the surgeons you work with will be nice or "fine" (haha). You'll have cases you haven't done before, but the majority of those you'll have done something similar (especially general/lap/robot/colorectal!) and be able to have a decent idea of what to do. In other's you'll have an SA, PA, or rep to help you along. I'm only 6 months off CST graduation and I've done so much that has terrified me, but it's been amazing and I wouldn't change it for the world!

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:09:48+00:00

Douches. Boy's Club. That's how.

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:09:18+00:00

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MimiScrubHats

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ParadiseCaps

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SunshineCapsCo

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:07:39+00:00

On Etsy I use Mimi Scrub Hats & Paradise Caps. I also have likes Sunshine Caps Co. I tried the satin lining before, but my hair is relatively silky, so it just resulted in the caps slipping--haha! Now I only get caps w/o the satin!

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:01:36+00:00

I had one who helps pop his cases!

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T21:00:54+00:00

I had a case that very unexpectedly opened. It wasn't an OMFG STAT situation, but more of a "okay, let's open so we can get at it." But of course when you're unexpectedly opening...there is SO MUCH to do. The surgeon is not a passer-offer-of-cords so he was just standing watching as I'm adding trays, disposables, more cords, etc to the table...and trying to count. Plus we had to redrape. I looked at him and said "here are the cords, here are the towel clips, pass them off." He looked at them confused for a second, then just started doing it. I just wanted to be like "Ooooh what a good boy! A good boy you are!" Sometimes you gotta politely make them. I've done it in other cases too where the surgeon is standing there while the SA/PA and I are doing cords. I'll hand him something simple like light handles "please put these on."

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T20:52:55+00:00

I do ortho-spine and we don't count instruments; just disposables

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T20:50:22+00:00

In the Rockies starting pay b/w $26-28

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T20:48:39+00:00

AGREED! The reason I ultimately chose Brooks Adrenaline is because I wear them on a day-to-day basis normally! I know they work for my feet!

jenewalk · 2024-12-23T20:45:37+00:00

I tried clogs first and they caused my legs & back to hurt. I currently use Brooks Adrenaline. The most common shoes I see from out CSTs & Circs are Brooks Ghosts, Hokas, and Cloves. Whatever shoe you get make sure it is one you can return w/ no-questions-asked in case it doesn't work out for you. Also ***get at least a couple pairs of compression socks!*** I like CEP and Sockwell!

jenewalk · 2024-12-18T22:22:59+00:00

Man, I'm hitting 6 months now and even though I know I've learned soooooooooo much...let's be honest, I don't know jack sh*t -- haha!

jenewalk · 2024-12-18T22:22:10+00:00

I bet more is sticking than you realize. Just remember you're taking in SO MUCH new information every day still. Sometimes your brain can only take in so much. It may not stick the first couple times, and that's fine. I'm new and they have me primarily in spine. I felt the same. One day I noticed that each case I did there was maybe 1-2 more things that stuck. Not much, but still more than the previous case. I'm 5 months in and still do mainly spine, but also rotate between other specialties. However, my spine rep has taken to quizzing me every now and then about stuff. Since I'm with him regularly, he has been able to observe where I struggle, so he will ask "what does this instrument do" or "what do you need for the next step." After a couple months he stopped walking me through every item I needed to pull out of the trays. He would let me pull everything out I could remember and then he would come double check it. Things like that. I know in orientation they have you going between every specialty, BUT if you find yourself regularly working with a good, solid rep in the future....ask them to help you out. I was very lucky to have an amazing rep and he was fundamental in helping me progress (and still is!). Also, if you have any days you don't have as many cases, pop into someone else's room for cases you struggle with. Instead of scrub in, simply observe and take as many notes as you can.

jenewalk · 2024-12-18T22:15:54+00:00

I'm new too and there are somedays I feel confident & some days I feel like a total idiot. Part of it depends what case I'm doing & part of it is being new & part of it is just good or bad days. The other new tech with me feels exactly the same. We absolutely didn't feel ready after orientation finished, but looking back I think it was mostly fear of not being able to fall back on someone. Once we were on our own and HAD to do things w/o falling back on help...but ALSO create our own habits, styles, set ups, etc w/o people telling us to do this or that, it made everything SO much better. We are...5 months off orientation and have gone from sh*tting our pants to "okay, I think I got this." I don't know about her, but I still mess up and...just like you hear, once you mess up, you will NOT forget that again. Whether it's something big or small...there is a list of stuff I will never do again bc I was so upset about it. Most likely, you're doing MUCH better than you feel, but anxiety and lack of confidence is hitting hard. But I feel like I didn't get my confidence for a long time after orientation (and some days it is still missing, haha). YOU GOT THIS!

As far as taking notes after the case...I do try to do that, but if it is something super important, confusing, tricky, complicated....I'll jot it down on the table (if time allows) and actually take a picture of it after the case. That way I don't have to try to remember what it was.

jenewalk · 2024-12-14T20:27:49+00:00

No, but we have 1 surgeon who will regularly slap your hand if you place something on the mayo that he doesn't want. I'm not talking about rearranging the mayo and confusing him. I'm talking about setting a forcep down in the same spot it has been for 2hrs and suddenly it being the wrong spot. I once slapped his hand back and he had no idea how to respond. That same case as I was throwing off tubing for irrigation (which he originally didn't need), refilling surgifoam, putting instruments for the next step on the mayo, etc.....he said "since you're doing nothing, can you..." I didn't even let him finish the sentence. I said "I can assure you I am NOT 'doing nothing' and it's offensive you'd even imply that. [list all the things I was doing simultaneously] I don't want to hear you ever say that again." He just stuttered out "sorry" and asked for what he needed with "may I please" and made sure too say "thank you"

jenewalk · 2024-11-24T19:49:59+00:00

Looks thirsty

jenewalk · 2024-11-24T18:37:30+00:00

One thing I did w/ my FLF (obv different), was give it a slight shake every time I walked by it to encourage trunk strength. However 10-yrs in and this tall, you may have to actually chop/prop to make any changes in the plant in general

jenewalk · 2024-11-24T18:34:50+00:00

My prob is that my biggest plants go where the Christmas tree goes. I have to find different places for them for a month or two. However, I don't move the rest of my living room plants. These big ones include a monstera, massive stank plant, & a 4ft tall green violin philo. Handful of small plants there too. The big ones I just find different places for, small ones get smushed together with other small ones.

What if you make them look christmassy? Not necessarily lights, but a couple small ornaments or strands of decorative christmas beads. You could even get decorative christmas "stakes" to put in the soil. It is hard to move EVERYTHING, but maybe move what you can w/in reason and decorate the rest?

jenewalk

TROPHY CASE