Sharing Client Service Stories

At regular staff meetings, everyone must tell a client service story describing a good or a not-so-good experience that we can all learn from. The point is to encourage us to pay more attention to how we interact with our clients.
Heidi Lancellotti, RVT
Chateau Veterinary Hospital
Kenner, Louisiana

Fastening Endotracheal Tubes

To fasten endotracheal tubes to patients, we used to use gauze, which would get wet, be difficult to remove, and fall apart. To prevent these problems, we started using a piece of recycled IV line instead of gauze. The IV line is discarded after this use to prevent contamination.
Christine Bagnell
North Providence, Rhode Island

Knowing When to Discard Endotracheal Tubes

To keep track of how long we use endotracheal tubes, we put a piece of colored sterilization tape on them when they are new and throw them out after 6 months. Each new batch of endotracheal tubes gets a new color of tape, and a color-coded chart tells us when to discard them.
Jennifer Hjelle, CVT
St. Cloud, Minnesota