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Equitable: See Fair
November 16, 2009 7:07 AM by Scott Warner

"Scott refuses to define the word equitable ," someone once complained about me. The American Heritage dictionary defines equitable as "just and impartial," then tells us to see fair . Fair , unsurprisingly, is defined as "just to all parties; equitable." Read More...

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Valuable Work
October 5, 2009 7:16 AM by Scott Warner

When a round robin of "What's New" got to me at a recent department head meeting I said, "We're working on a new C. diff algorithm that screens for toxin-producing antigen and not just the toxin." Amid blank stares one manager laughed, " English please!" Read More...

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Competency
September 30, 2009 7:04 AM by Scott Warner

According to CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) Sec. 493.1413(b)(8) , the technical consultant is responsible for "evaluating the competency of testing personnel." There are a number of ways to do this: direct observation, review of records, Read More...

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The Box
September 16, 2009 7:28 AM by Scott Warner

Along with "Aha!" moments – those insights that punctuate hard work – you've probably heard the idea to "think outside the box." It means to think from an unconventional or different perspective, assumed to be essential in creativity. It's a cliché these Read More...

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Error is Just a Word
August 14, 2009 7:20 AM by Scott Warner

Error means to deviate, blunder, or make a mistake. Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Law has this marvelous definition: "an act that through ignorance, deficiency, or accident departs from or fails to achieve what should be done." No matter how we strive Read More...

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Questions and Answers
June 15, 2009 6:02 AM by Scott Warner

Your workplace may have a buddy system to bond new hires with your organization. That's great for trivial questions about the lunch menu, where to park, or who handles payroll. But what about tough questions? For example: Why do I work more weekends than Read More...

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Accountability
May 22, 2009 7:07 AM by Scott Warner

Accountability is a word I hear a lot these days, usually in the form of "That person needs to be held accountable." I think what people usually mean is "That person needs to be punished." But accountability simply means to be answerable. One who is accountable Read More...

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A Thousand Words
May 18, 2009 6:21 AM by Scott Warner

Incident reports are commonplace in healthcare, meant to record the facts. But do they? I've written about write-ups, including their presentation as conclusions and use as political bats. If you've worked in healthcare any length of time, you're well Read More...

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Why Make Patients Wait?
February 11, 2009 1:39 PM by Scott Warner

We recently consolidated laboratory workstations, creating a second order entry station in the process. This opens the possibility of bypassing the normal patient queue of order entry before collecting samples and drawing some patients as soon as they Read More...

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I Got My Answer From the Nurse
January 28, 2009 3:02 PM by Scott Warner

A hospital receptionist concerned about a lab report on her son came into the lab asking what a "bicarb" level meant. I printed a page from Lab Tests Online , a resource I often use for patients. When I walked it down the hall to her desk, she was putting Read More...

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Communication
January 22, 2009 8:53 AM by Scott Warner

Communication is everyone's panacea for everything. - Tom Peters , author of In Search of Excellence Ain't that the truth. But communication is also blamed for much failure. Management with tsk, "If only we had had more meetings, more blurbs in the newsletter, Read More...

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The Purpose of Discipline
December 16, 2008 8:39 AM by Scott Warner

"The purpose of discipline," a nurse once told me, "is to correct behavior." According to one article in HR Magazine , the purpose of discipline is "to create and maintain a productive, responsive workforce" to "rehabilitate" employees. And one human Read More...

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Millennials and Perennials
November 20, 2008 8:11 AM by Scott Warner

According to a Wikipedia article about them, 97 percent own a computer, 94 percent own a cell phone and 76 percent use instant messaging. Morley Safer described them on 60 Minutes as arriving at work around noon in flip-flops, expecting a manager to talk Read More...

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Big Brother Has Mail
October 6, 2008 9:17 AM by Scott Warner

I recently heard a remarkable confession. A staff member told me, "I just assume you're reading all my e-mails." Her husband, a mid-level manager in a nearby city, routinely reads employee e-mails as company policy. But another person said "THEY" are Read More...

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Get Support
October 2, 2008 8:13 AM by Scott Warner

A few winters ago, I attended management training in Portland. It was a snowy, blustery day that turned to sleet and freezing rain by nightfall. I'll never forget that long drive home. But it stands out for another reason. A new manager at the meeting Read More...

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