Reps, what are they good for? Absolutely Nothing. (sing it again, y’all)

Tonight, I had a rep question me about a laser case for Surgeon A.

He was the rep for laser 2.

Laser 2 has specific needs. It can only be used in OR 5. Because of specialized plug that it has.

Surgeon A had a case that he wanted to use laser for.

Small problem.

Room 5 was busy.

I told the rep that we couldn’t use Laser 2 for the case.

I didn’t offer to move the cases.

I didn’t offer to reschedule the case.

I didn’t offer anything.

The rep then said he hadn’t seen Surgeon A in awhile. He asked to see him.

I looked him over my glasses. (I practice this move in the mirror).

I asked, “Why? So you can denigrate Laser 1 to him and point out that Laser 2 is superior?”

My assistant manager was in the room and she snorted, quietly.

The rep became flustered and said, “Gabe said it would be okay.”

Gabe is the biomed person who runs the laser.

Those are fighting words.

Yeah, uh-uh.

Gabe is not the laser safety officer for this hospital.

He’s a guy that never comes in the evenings to run the laser.

I’ve given Gabe a lot of latitude to bring in new goggles, to take our combine goggle cart and separate out the holmium goggles from the carbon dioxide goggles.

But he doesn’t run our laser program.

Just our laser sometimes.

I just looked at him. He scuttled away.

To change so he could come to the room while Surgeon A was using Laser 1.

I was running Laser 1 and I dared him, with a glance, to say anything to Surgeon A while we were using  Laser 1.

We didn’t end up using Laser 1 either.