Stop struggling to find supplies

March 2, 2009

Here's a tip: Hold a scavenger hunt for your practice's hard-to-locate items. That way, every employee will know where to look when asked for an "obscure" object.

Pop quiz: The doctor just asked you for the Material Safety Data Sheets. Do you know where they're located? What about the topical eye anesthetic or eye wash handout? What about replacement bulbs and batteries?

It's every team member's responsibility to know where objects live around the office-no matter if the items are used daily or rarely. To help your team learn the locations of hard-to-find tools, try holding a scavenger hunt. The first step: poll your practice to see what to include on the list.

Here's a sample list from Donna Bauman, CVPM, practice manager at Ottawa Animal Hospital in Holland, Mich., to get you started.

Allergy tests

Blood collection sets

Culture plates

Emergency drug box

Flashlights

High-level scissors

Infusion pump

Large bloat tube

Small bloat tube

Surgical patches

Tissue adhesive