The OT Slippers

A common problem in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and operation theatre (OT) is missing slippers. The nursing in-charges of OTs and ICUs are always complaining that the slippers kept for changing from outside shoes always end up missing.

To stop this, some nursing in-charges write with paint, ICU or OT as the case be, on the slippers before placing them in circulation. Even this was not found to be effective in stopping the disappearance of slippers. Many nursing in-charge mutilate the slippers by cutting notches in them, etc. to make it look odd to stop its disappearance, yet even this had not been found to be effective.

Once there was an acute shortage of slippers in main OT of AIIMS, New Delhi. The nursing in-charge got new pairs of slipper issued from the store but was worried that these brand new slippers will again disappear. The in-charge hit upon a brilliant idea of issuing only the right side slippers as a pair, i.e. both foot slippers was of the right foot only. Due to this odd combination, the in-charge was sure that the slippers will not disappear. But surprise, even this odd combination of slippers started to disappear slowly.

So the in-charge was forced to issue the remaining left sided slippers as the new odd pair. But within few days these also disappeared and the perfectly paired right and left side slippers started appearing in the public in Yusuf Sarai (an area adjoining AIIMS, New Delhi).

Nowadays in many places, they issue the pairs of slippers individually to staff-member or doctors with recorded receipt either on a long-term basis to keep with them in the locker, etc. or on a short-term basis to return at the end of the day.

But what will you do if you do not have a separate locker to keep the slippers? Wrapping them with plastic sheet or cloth and keeping them in the general locker is then the only option. Used surgical caps can make an excellent cover to keep the slipper while storing them in the locker especially if two caps are used to cover just one slipper.

(Based on allegedly true incident)

— ND
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DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norm. 

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The ICU Slippers

At the AB8 Anaesthesia Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at AIIMS, New Delhi, everyone, including the doctors were supposed to remove their shoes and wear the ICU slippers, especially kept separately at the changing room, before entering the ICU.

The problem was that the numbers of slipper used to fall short if many doctors entered the ICU at the same time such as during some unit’s clinical round. The later coming doctors have to wait outside, sometime 10-20 minutes, till someone comes out of the ICU. This used to waste the doctor’s time, which in the busy schedule of the surgery junior residents used to be very frustrating.

One female junior resident in the Surgery Department at AIIMS, New Delhi never used to waste time waiting for the slippers. If the slippers were not available, she used to wear shoe covers over her shoes and go inside the ICU (Same as you can wear when visiting the Taj Mahal).

And from where did she used to get the shoe cover? She had first arranged few pair of shoe cover for her personal use. When she first used the shoe-cover and came out of the ICU, she removed the shoe-covers she had worn, fold them well and hide them in changing room.

When next time she goes to the ICU, she again retrieves the shoe covers from the hiding place, use them and re-hide them, and so on. Also, she used to always carry one extra pair of shoe covers with her as a backup in case the shoe-covers she had hidden had been discovered and thrown away while cleaning the room.

Secret Tip: Although shoe covers are different, in many places if you use Operation Theatre’s Surgical Caps, they can be passed off as shoe-covers in cursory inspection. Plus, surgical caps are freely available in the OT.

 (Based on true incident)

— ND
© Author. All rights reserved. 

If viewing from Mobile, switch to Webpage view to see a list of popular posts and index of topics of previous posts.

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Practice should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost. 

DISCLAIMER: This article is intended only for fun purpose. The author does not promote or recommend any behavior illustrated here or claim it to be useful. Use of the information herein is at you one's own risk. Before trying to emulate or follow anything the reader is well advised to take into account ethical, moral, legal and other considerations. The author recommends that Medical Education should be of the highest ethical and moral level keeping in mind the interest of the patient as foremost and according to MCI and other Board’s norm. 

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