Were You Born in a Barn?

Do you know what time it is?  Time for a major pet-peeve!  It’s been a little while since I’ve unleashed one.  And this particular problem was really pronounced this last week.  Here goes:

Both of my doctors are adament that the door between reception and the treatment area remains closed.  All doctors are.  This is mostly so the clients don’t spot the doctors and trap them in a long conversation, or catch them off guard.  Also, it’s so no cats escape from the back, and so the owners don’t see restraint or procedures.  It makes sense that the vets are all over this.  What doesn’t make sense is how neither of them seem to give a FUCK whether the surgery room doors are open.

The surgery room can never be too clean.  The surgery room is a place for cleanliness, as sterility needs to occur here.  You don’t want a bunch of people/house-cats (that are notorious for inappropriately urination) traipsing in and out, hair or nail clippings, grime or dirt in that room.  Even one open abdomen or orthopedic surgery gets compromised because of those things is completely inappropriate.  As such, staff (usually always me) has to scrub the walls, surfaces, and floor with bleach once a month at a minimum.  But more if we are using the room often or if it is compromised in some way.

Firstly, I get annoyed, because pretty much everyone, leaves the door open.  Also, our tech has made the surgery room her personal office so not only will she sit in there, she eats in there (a big no no), and she’ll prop open both doors while she’s in there–and when she isn’t.  The biggest headache though, the one that makes me positively IRATE is when the vet (you can guess which one) puts a God-damned chicken in there.  She will put a bird (in a carry crate) with all the bedding, feathers, seed/food, and poop in that room.  And inevitably little pieces will spill out of the kennel.  Also, the birds can make a room smell.  Sometimes (like last week) she’ll put one in there immediately after I’ve already scrubbed the walls/floors/surfaces.

I think that is really 1) dumb, considering she of all people should know that the surgery room is a place to minimize contamination. 2)  Inconsiderate, since she NEVER cleans in there–not even a quick sweep after the bird mess.  And especially not in a timely fashion if the quick sweep does occur.  3)  Hypocritical, because I KNOW she would be the first one to chew my a$$ if we had some emergency surgery to do and the surgery room was a flippin mess at the time.

And to wrap this pet-peeve up, you would think someone would lay down the law if a culture plate grew up something from the surgery room (but nowhere else). . .