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
Various handouts