Education

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Hardship has at least two phases

Most people think the hardship is the thing that happened to them. It is not. The hardship that does the most damage is the one that comes second. The first wave arrives uninvited. You do not choose it. It lands, and you absorb it. As brutal as it is, it has an end. Time helps, support helps, resilience helps, and you get through it. The second wave is different. It does not come from the outside. It comes from inside. It is the story you tell yourself about what happened and why.

Dishing the Dirt

Tom Brokaw didn’t mention it. It wasn’t on Time magazine’s list of the most significant events of the twentieth century. But at least once every millennium, there ought to be a serious discussion about dirt. It has always been around, and as society has progressed, so has the nature of the dirt that surrounds us.

The Office is a Trap: 5 Leadership Lessons

The leader who works the floor leads the floor. Physical presence is not a monitoring tactic; it is a profound investment in your team. When you are visible, performance naturally rises because people raise their standards when they know their leader is paying attention. Problems surface as “small issues” before they can mutate into patient complaints or safety incidents. Most importantly, presence communicates a level of support that a memo never could.

To bridge the gap between high-level strategy and frontline execution, leaders must master these five lessons from the floor.

Staff Training: The Four C’s

I have developed a full staff training on the Four C’s that we will be rolling out next week. These are four of the most dangerous drug-resistant organisms in healthcare settings, and I want to share some of the key points from that training here.

Know Your Microbial Targets: Choosing the Right Disinfectant for the Pathogen

In the first post in this series, I laid out four variables that drive smart disinfectant selection: microbial targets, contact time, chemistry, and EPA registration. Each one deserves a deeper look. This post focuses on the first and most foundational: knowing exactly which organisms you are targeting and why that determines which disinfectant belongs in your team’s hands.

Choosing the Right Disinfectant: A Guide for EVS Professionals

Choosing the right disinfectant is a critical decision for environmental services (EVS) professionals, impacting patient safety and infection control. Selection involves understanding microbial targets, proper application practices, chemical properties, and regulatory compliance.

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6 Microbial Secrets That Will Change How You See the World

Microbes are everywhere—on your skin, in the air you breathe, and in the food you eat. They form a vast, invisible universe that shapes our lives in profound ways. While we often think of “germs” as simple enemies to be defeated, their stories are far more complex, surprising, and fascinating than we can imagine. From their discovery and evolution to their impact on our health, the interplay between microbes and humanity is a journey through the quirks and mysteries of life at the microscopic level.

More Than a Menace: The Secret Histories of the World’s Toughest Germs

What is the first thing you notice when you enter a hotel or hospital room? I believe, most people register a simple impression: it is either clean and smells fresh, or it isn’t. This feeling of cleanliness gives us a sense of safety and comfort, a sign that professionals have worked tirelessly to prepare the space just for us. But what if that sterile scent masks an invisible world with a dramatic history of its own?

Housekeeping in Washington State Behavioral Health Facilities: A Historical and Safety-Oriented Perspective

Washington’s state hospitals grew rapidly between the 1920s and 1940s. By 1930, Western and Eastern State Hospitals housed thousands of patients, many of whom lived in appalling conditions. Despite the increased scale, there was no corresponding improvement in cleaning practices or worker protections. Institutional housekeeping remained a custodial function assigned to patients or underpaid staff without training.

Cleaning methods focused on visible tidiness rather than microbial safety. Chemical use was unregulated, and tools were rudimentary. Staff and patients were exposed to pathogens, toxic substances, and unsafe physical environments. There were no systems for reporting workplace injuries or exposures. Institutional goals prioritized containment over care, and the human dignity of workers and residents was largely ignored.

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Maintaining the Hospital Physical Environment

The physical environment of a hospital plays an important role in patient safety. It’s not just about keeping things tidy—it’s about maintaining an environment that ensures patient safety, supports efficient operations, and complies with strict regulatory standards.

Scabies: Everything you are itching to know

Scabies is a highly contagious skin condition caused by the human itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei var. hominis). These microscopic mites burrow into the skin to live, lay eggs, and trigger an allergic reaction, leading to intense itching and a rash.