Sterilization Station: A Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast
Welcome to "Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast, the podcast dedicated to elevating the field of sterile processing and surgical services! In an industry where precision and care intersect, we believe that knowledge is power. Our mission is to empower, encourage, and motivate every professional engaged in the transformative world of healthcare.
Join us each week as we delve into enlightening discussions that shine a light on best practices, emerging innovations, and the critical role sterile processing plays in patient safety. Whether you're a seasoned expert or just starting your journey, our panels and expert guests will provide invaluable insights through engaging conversations and real-world stories.
From the nuances of instrument handling to the latest in sterilization techniques, we cover it all. Expect thought-provoking interviews, educational segments, and motivating content designed to inspire you to elevate your craft. Together, let’s foster a community that champions excellence in surgical services and celebrates the unsung heroes of healthcare.
Tune in to where expertise meets passion, and every episode empowers you to make a difference in the operating room and beyond.
Sterilization Station: A Sterile Processing Empowerment Podcast
Beyond Scrubbing: How Alyssa Ellis Elevates Surgical Technology
Alyssa Ellis, known as @beyondassisting on Instagram, transforms surgical technology education by sharing honest insights about the blood, sweat, and purpose behind the field that she once feared but now champions as both a certified surgical technologist and first assist.
• Started as a surgical tech after accompanying friends to school who both quit within two weeks
• Maintains both surgical tech and first assist certifications to preserve her foundational skills
• Explains the difference between surgical technologists (instrument passers) and first assists who help retract, suture, and cut
• Identifies confidence as the biggest challenge for new techs, emphasizing the importance of supportive preceptors
• Describes the physical demands of holding retractors and standing for 12-hour shifts
• Recommends consistent instrument placement and thorough note-taking when preparing for complex cases
• Emphasizes emotional intelligence and "reading the room" when working with surgeons under stress
• Advises new techs to focus on watching the procedure rather than staring at their Mayo stand
• Started her social media platform to fill her passion for teaching that wasn't fully satisfied in her first assist role
• Teaches the importance of communicating directly with surgeons rather than ignoring requests for unavailable items
Download Alyssa's app at beyondassistingmvtso.com and use code CST student for 30% off. Follow her on Instagram @beyondassisting.
If you've ever wondered what it's really like to stand for hours, pass instruments, mid-surgery or advocate for a sterile technique and still have the energy to inspire the next generation online, today's guest is the truth. Alyssa Ellis, known to thousands as at beyond assisting, is a certified surgical technologist who isn't afraid to get honest about the blood, sweat and purpose behind the field. So, whether you're scrubbing in or scrolling through her powerful posts, alyssa brings surgical technology to life and to light, and so I just want to welcome Alyssa to the sterilization station today, and we're really glad to have her and looking forward to having a great conversation today.
Speaker 2:That's quite the introduction. I loved it.
Speaker 1:Happy to be here. Well, thank you, and I know I found you on Instagram, so I was, you know, watching your Instagram reels and I just was like, wow, this is really interesting and I really, really love what you're doing, so really glad that I was able to get you on here today. This is great. If you could tell us a little bit about how you got into surgical technology and when did you know this is what you wanted to do.
Speaker 2:So this is always such a funny story for me to tell, just because I actually hated blood, guts, all of it. All the ER shows when I was younger hated all of it, didn't like watching it. And then all of a sudden I don't even know two of my friends wanted to go to surgical tech school. I think one of my friend's moms was a tech and so they wanted to go. And I'm like I'm working at Kitty Candids taking pictures of little kids I can probably do something else with my life. So I went with them, checked out, the school started and then two weeks into it both of them quit, and so then I don't usually start something without finishing it, and so I finished it. I absolutely love it and from there have become a first assist over the past few years. So I've been doing it a long time, but it's kind of funny how it all came about. I never thought I would be in this career.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's amazing. Yeah, it's so interesting how many people come on the podcast and we're doing something totally different and then they find this path into their dream or their calling, and so that's pretty, pretty amazing. So, just in case someone is, you know, new to sterile processing surgical services, surgical technology, like, can you just tell them a little bit about what is a first assist and what separates, or what's the difference between that and a scrub tech?
Speaker 2:So a surgical tech is the one that will set up all the instrumentation, your sterile back table, and pass instruments throughout the case. A surgical first assist is directly there, with the surgeon across from them usually and helping retract. So we're anticipating in a different way, because we're anticipating on when to retract, where to retract. We can bovie, we can cut, we can suture clothes under the direction, supervision of the surgeon, whereas a surgical tech cannot do that, and so that's the difference. But we definitely all have very important roles together, and I keep my surgical tech certification just because I don't want to lose those skills and actually love scrubbing as well. I just scrubbed a total joint, I think, last week because they were short, and I'm always willing to jump in and scrub at any time because I do not want to lose those skills and I always will keep up both certifications.
Speaker 1:I know in our facility we have physician assistants. Are those similar to first assist or what's the difference between the two?
Speaker 2:the difference is that surgical assistants are basically only that I can't go to the clinic, and well, I mean, I guess technically I could, but there's certain things that I can't do, like I can't write scripts like a pa or an np, so a physician's assistant and nurse practitioner be. So a physician's assistant and nurse practitioner when they come into the operating room they're under a surgeon, but they typically will follow that surgeon in clinic as well and they round on the patients on the floor in the hospital. They'll come into surgery and assist the same way that I would assist. We do exactly the same thing in surgery. I can do the same thing as a PA, but as far as leaving surgery and going and writing orders and all of that, a PA and an NP can do that, whereas I can't, and so it is more schooling to become a PA versus a surgical assistant. I just primarily that's what I do is I assist in surgery.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, thank you, that was for Bill y'all. I was just curious on the difference. So thank you very much for that. Alyssa, I appreciate it. And then, what was your biggest challenge in school or in your early OR days?
Speaker 2:Really it's just the confidence factor, which I'm sure everybody goes through in any career that you go into, and I was very young starting. So I was I mean I was 20, I think, when I started, so I was really young, and I mean anybody that goes into anything you want to know what you're doing so that you don't look stupid. But thankfully I had really good preceptors. So really it's just that lack of confidence that you have in the beginning, but I definitely had some preceptors that it was a little more challenging to learn from, and then I had other preceptors that were extremely supportive and they're the ones that really, like, helped me grow as a tech is because they were supporting me and making me feel like I wasn't crazy, as I'm feeling these certain things and like, nope, this is normal, it's okay, so yeah, definitely when you're going through schooling or you're you're doing something different.
Speaker 1:It's. I think you're gonna have to deal with the confidence factor first, you know, until you build it up. So that's really good. Can you walk us through a day in your life during a tough case or a long shift?
Speaker 2:I worked 12-hour shifts so I already work really long shifts. I'm trying to think of the last tough case. See, I worked at a level one trauma center for a while, but I wasn't a first assist there, so that was probably longer than what I'm doing now. I mean, right now it might be like a robot, something, colon, something Might take a while. Or if I'm doing an ortho revision of a hip or a knee, sometimes those can take a really long time.
Speaker 2:So those cases you know you go into it. You don't really know what's going to happen, what you're going to take out. If it's a bowel resection, you have no idea what stapler you're going to need. So you go through the process of asking the surgeon typically hey, what are we doing, what do you think we're going to do, what do you think we're going to find? And if they say sigmoid colon's coming out or I don't know, then you just have everything in the room pretty much and then just during the case, being able to anticipate and assist as much as you can.
Speaker 2:The challenging part of doing like a revision is am I holding the leg up or dislocating the hip or holding retractors the whole time? So if I'm holding retractors the whole time. You have to be, you have to be pretty strong to hold all these retractors, but you find a way to rest your elbow on your hip while you're pushing something I do, I do anterior hips and you have the the middle. I call it the crotch post, the post that goes in the on the Hannah table in the middle, and I find a way to put my hand on it as I'm holding three retractors with one arm and suctioning with the other. So really you just have to learn how to like use your body and I would say proper body mechanics. But but you know, you do as you do as good as you can.
Speaker 2:But, that's probably the most challenging thing is just like mentally state trying to stay ahead and anticipate. In either capacity, whether you're a tech or a first assist, you're trying to anticipate and make sure that you're staying ahead and helping your surgeon however you can, and so mentally it's draining and physically it can be very demanding as well.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, Looking through those windows and wondering how they do it. I know they had me come to be like a second scrub for a GYN case and they had me like holding a Richardson or something. I forget what a retractor was, but it was like all I remember was my lower back hurt, my neck hurt. I was like that was my first. That was my first time. I was like, oh, my goodness, how do they do this? So maybe you just have to get to that stretch lab and stretch weekly. I don't know, but I have a great respect for that.
Speaker 2:I feel like having time off. I like forget how much I'm on my feet and then, like when I've had one of my kids, for example, I've had a kid, and then I go back to work and the first couple weeks my feet hurt. I'm man, this is hard. It's hard to stand up for this long, but then after that your body just gets used to it. It's like when you're exercising you know you're really sore for a little while and then your body just starts getting used to it. You build that muscle and that strength or whatever, and then it's all. It's all fine after that. But yeah, the beginning is rough. It's rough holding retractors, all of it. But your body just adjusts and you get stronger and then it becomes easier yeah, no, that's good.
Speaker 1:I think that students listening in they're gonna have a glimpse of hope when they're like great, great, it does get better.
Speaker 2:So no, I appreciate you at the end of the tunnel.
Speaker 1:So thinking about, like maybe some pro tips that you can give out. I was curious, like what are your go-to strategies for prepping for some of these long or these complex cases?
Speaker 2:Some of my go-to strategies is preference cards are huge, but I mean you will hear this everywhere that they're never right. They're never right. I'm fixing the ones that my work right now are attempting to and I mean I can only do so much they change some things. Or someone else might go change the card and then do so much they change some things, or someone else might go change the card and then. But you do the best that you can, but ultimately take notes like, first and foremost, take notes. If it's the first time that you're doing a case with a surgeon, guess what that surgeon also knows. It's your first time doing that case with that surgeon because they don't know you, you don't know that and so going into it.
Speaker 2:If they have the expectation of you knowing everything that they need, then they need to kind of have a reality check a little bit, because they're. I mean there's only so much you can do. But having a preference card, you first start off of that and then you can ask questions from there to your surgeon and then you put those answers to those questions in your notes. And as soon as you put them in your notes you know that the next time you do that case with that surgeon you should have everything that you had asked them for that case. And if you don't, then I mean that's kind of on you that you didn't have that because they told you. And so I can understand the frustration from their part, because they expect you to, like ask a question, you get the answer. So you need to do something with that information and not just forget it and ask it every time. That becomes frustrating. It's like my kids, when I give them an answer and they're asking me and then they just keep asking me. I'm like I already answered you, I already gave you the answer, were you not listening to me? I mean that would frustrate anybody if you really think about it, and so I think, ultimately ask your surgeon questions. But first and foremost, you look at the preference card. Is it the correct preference card? Is it for the correct case? And then, because sometimes they pull other cards for other surgeons for that case because they don't have one for that surgeon, so make sure that that's their card for that case, look through those details and then you can ask the surgeon, say, hey, I looked at your preference card. This is what it said.
Speaker 2:I just want to make sure that I have everything that you need for this procedure or if there's anything extra special that you might need. And then from there, they know that you've done everything that you can to try to prepare for that case, and some personalities are just more difficult to work with than others. But ultimately, if that's how you approach something, it's going to make your life a lot easier. But just remember to, from there, take notes, and take notes in a way that you're going to remember what you need the next time. Don't take notes for somebody else and how someone else will translate that. You need to take your own notes for yourself. My notes might look completely different from your notes, but it's because I understand it that way, and so that's how I'm going to write it in whatever kind of detail that I need, so that I can get through the next procedure looking like I know what I'm doing.
Speaker 1:Right as long as we look like we know what we're doing.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:No, that was good, that's great. What are some mistakes that you see new techs make and how can they avoid those mistakes?
Speaker 2:something that, from the get-go, you should be focusing on the case and what's happening at the field, before everything that's on your Mayo stand. You already know what's on your Mayo stand, you put it there. So it's okay to look at your Mayo stand just to double check everything, but ultimately you've already set up. You need to be watching the procedure and seeing what they need next, because that's how it's going to make you better at your job, and I know that's difficult sometimes, but I still see it to this day where someone with even enough experience that they shouldn't be doing that anymore, they're still doing that and just waiting for the instrument to be asked for, instead of really focusing on that procedure and what's happening to anticipate.
Speaker 2:It's like a game to me. I want to guess what the next thing is that they're going to need, but I don't want to just guess. I want it to be educated, and so I'm paying attention, and one thing that I tell students or a new hire that's like brand new is always have something in your hand. You have one hand empty and you have something in the other hand, whatever is the most comfortable. So what would be comfortable to grab? And then what would be comfortable? Which hand would be comfortable to pass, so that you're ready to grab and pass?
Speaker 2:And guess, say, they use the scissors last, so maybe nine times out of 10, if they're dissecting it's going to be like scissors bovie or scissors bipolar. It's going to go back and forth and maybe they have a forcep in their hand at the same time. So you just have to pay attention. I'm not going to grab a right angle if they just got done using a scissor. So I'm going to be prepared and have the scissor in my hand and be ready that maybe they'll just put their hand out. I'll pass it to them, which I've done before where they haven't asked for anything, but they just start kind of putting their hand out and I just pop what they had used last before they put that down in their hand and they just keep working. Or they say they look at it and then they put it down. They're like, no, I need this. But they're happy that you're trying and that you're paying attention and that you're trying to anticipate that next move to prevent them from, prevent the case from taking longer.
Speaker 1:Really so wow, that's great. I get mesmerized when I hear people and talk about their craft, because you know your craft so well and you know how to anticipate it. That's really, it's really great. I always it's like, oh wow, surgical tech has to be almost have to know as much as the surgeon. At least you have to know where they're going, you know you have to know what their yeah like what their next step is.
Speaker 2:And so I mean I've learned so much. Like I said, I worked at a level one trauma center. That was a county hospital and so we had we had med students, residents, everything there, and so I got to learn a lot just from watching them learn and listening in on what the surgeons or their attendings were teaching them. So thankfully I didn't have to look like the stupid one, but I got to learn a lot, so it was great. So, thankfully, I didn't have to look like the stupid one, but I got to learn a lot, so it was great. But you know, I just I love being able to learn the process of things and understand it. So if I see one surgeon do something different that I've never seen before, I'll ask, I'll be like, hey, why do you do that? I'm just curious, like I'm genuinely curious. And they'll tell me and I'm like man that that is so smart or that makes a lot of sense to do that, and I'll never forget it. And I've I've brought that to other surgeons where they might get stuck or they might kind of like start having an idea but don't really know. And of course I do not ever offer advice unless I feel like it's OK to give it, and don't ever do that like it's okay to give it and don't ever do that. You have to build the relationship first and you have to make sure that you're in a setting that that's okay and that you feel like that's okay to do. But I have brought suggestions to surgeons before from other things that I've seen. They're like man or they'll ask me what does so-and-so do? And I'll tell them this is what they do. Because, just like I don't know how other first assists work, because I don't work alongside them. I'm in a separate room. It's the same with surgeons. They don't work alongside each other. They're usually I mean sometimes they assist each other, but for the most part they don't know their habits of their partner or whatever of their partner or whatever, and so and they might ask them. But sometimes it's easier, if we're in the OR together, for them to say, hey, you work with what's his name, what does he do, and then I can tell him, oh, this is what he does. Oh, okay, all right, I'm going to try that. And so it's good to like pay attention to the cases and what they're doing and become like a valuable resource at work.
Speaker 2:I'm always someone that I'm always trying to be the best at, whatever I'm doing. But me being the best doesn't mean that I withhold information. I feel like someone can still be better than me, but as long as I am doing my best, I guess. And so I feel like everyone should try to be their very best, and so I feel like everyone should try to be their very best from there. Like you do in, your value increases and people want you in the room more, and like I love that. I love feeling like I am wanted to be in the room. I have a lot of fun, I joke around, I love teaching and so and I don't think I've been in a room that I I've never been kicked out of a room. I haven't been in a room where the surgeon just hates me. So I feel like I've so far built a very good reputation for myself, but I love it no, it's great.
Speaker 1:What? What would you say about a student? They're new to the environment, they're in the OR and sometimes the doctors are having a moment, or surgeons are not always, cannot always be the nicest people at times, and so how do you prepare your mindset? How would you help that student right that situation, if that makes sense?
Speaker 2:Yeah, no, it totally does, and I've explained this to students before and to new hires and whatever that have worked with this haven't worked with a surgeon before that maybe isn't as easy to work with or you really just have to go into it knowing that you're there for the patient and start your mentality that way and understand that everybody has different personalities. And also you can't take things personally Because, like my dad would get frustrated working on a car and you know I'm sitting there and he throws a wrench or whatever because something's not working and he swears and gets upset, like I know he still loves me, but he's frustrated and so you have to think about things in that setting. This is their patient, so they see this patient before, during and after surgery. They deal with the families of this patient. You don't you see the patient when they wheel into surgery and the circulators. You know they get to see them beforehand and then not after. That's PACU and everything. But you know the circulators see them, see maybe a little bit of family before. But these surgeons are with this patient from the get go and it could be. I mean, think about the case that you're doing. Honestly, to me it doesn't really matter.
Speaker 2:I think any surgery is a big deal to somebody and these guys went to school to become a surgeon and operate on these patients and like that's a lot of that's a lot of pressure. There's a lot put on you to try to perform in the best way that you possibly can for that patient and then hoping for the best outcome afterwards which every body is different for the best outcome afterwards, which every body is different. You have no idea, like, how they're gonna, how their body is going to be after surgery. Is their heart rate going to go down just because of whatever in their body? You have no idea, no idea. But we are just there to assist the surgeon during surgery. And so once you start thinking about it being more than yourself and it being something that is truly for that patient, it helps, I feel like when you can kind of put yourself outside of the box a little bit and just remember that it's not about you in the nicest way, it's not about you in the nicest way, it's just not, and you have to think about it in that, in a more simple way. Like that, like me, I get more.
Speaker 2:I would be more hurt if my nurse threw me under the bus or my tech threw me under the bus during a case, than if a surgeon screamed at me Absolutely, a hundred percent, because they're my team. It's not that I'm not a part of the surgeon's team in that moment, but my actual team is who I work with in that room in that facility, like my nurse, my circulator is my team and my tech is my team. Like us three together, like we're going to conquer that day. Anesthesia comes in and out, our surgeons come in and out, but like we're a team. And so if someone on my team throws me under the bus, then I'm upset. That would upset me, because that's not OK. We're supposed to work together to try to get everything prepared for surgery, help during surgery and then turn over for the next case, whereas the surgeon just comes in, operates, leaves. Next patient comes in same thing. And so I think that just really trying to think about it in that sense.
Speaker 2:But, that being said, it's never okay for a surgeon to completely be disrespectful towards you unless you're asking for it.
Speaker 2:If you are doing that first, then that's a different story as well. You have to also be professional and respectful, because if you start out not being that way, you can't really think that someone's not going to respond the same way back to you. But if you are going into it in a professional manner and a respectful manner and you're getting a surgeon that is screaming and yelling back at you and you're just like, listen, I'm like, I'm just trying to help, like I'm here trying to help I don't know what else you want me to do and they just start throwing stuff no, not OK, absolutely not OK, and that should never be tolerated. But absolutely not okay and that that should never be tolerated. But that is very hard it. That is a lot more rare and I think that a lot of techs feel like it's talked about so much, like all these surgeons are just huge a-holes. But that is not the case. You guys, there are some that have there's some great ones, yeah, there are wonderful ones.
Speaker 2:Yeah, there are wonderful surgeons out there, and there are wonderful surgeons that have stressful jobs, that deal with oncology cases. Like think about it in that way, like they're literally after this case, having to go tell family members that maybe their loved one is gonna die. You don't know that, and so you don't know the whole story behind it, and so that's where I think you have to try to put yourself like outside that box a little bit and just know that it isn't about you.
Speaker 1:No, I think that's really good. You know, I think what's really important too and maybe you could touch on this and, like I said, I I just really love the, just the approach you have on answering the question. But how right, like what, like basically what is? How does how, how does emotional intelligence factor into you being like a, like a surgical tech? And then, how can a new surgical tech get to know their doctor in ways or build a relationship that might help them to be able to have a better cadence with them?
Speaker 2:That's a good question, no, so I think that emotional intelligence is huge and I think this also correlates to read the room first, because this is their patient, remember. So it's not just you coming in all hot and heavy talking about everything that has happened in your life and you really need to kind of sit back and just wait, because I have surgeons that are so focused that I have really good relationships with and we don't talk the whole case until they're closing, and then they're okay talking because they're focused. Their main focus is getting this case done and that's okay. That doesn't mean like I'm not offended by it. I'm not like, oh my gosh, I can't believe. Why are they not talking to me right now? No, I already know.
Speaker 1:They talked to John.
Speaker 2:Yeah, exactly. Yeah, they talked to so-and-so. It's just important for you to wait and it's like it's kind of like speak if you're spoken to, but not in a bad way. I, I'm like I, I know that sounds like oh, I'm just supposed to sit here and not say anything. It's like no, but their expectation of you is for you to be involved in the case.
Speaker 2:And so if you're not involved in the case and you're talking about last Saturday, whatever you were doing with your nurse, and you're not paying attention to the case, you're not doing your job is really what it comes down to. Your job in that moment is to help the surgeon. And so I think it's extremely important to know like the mood of the room, like is your surgeon frustrated right now? So what should you do? If your surgeon is frustrated? Probably just try to help. So if something is happening, maybe ask a question like okay, do you need me to get something else? And if you can tell they're being kind of short, then maybe just don't talk and be very into the case and wait for the next thing that they're asking for, so that you, they know when they look over you are just trying to help. Whatever situation is frustrating does not mean it's you they're frustrated, and just be there for them and their support, because we are the support staff for the surgeon and so we're there to support the surgeon in this surgery. We're not doing the surgery, but we are supporting by helping him or her. And so I think it's important to read the room if they're quiet, if they start joking around or they start talking to you asking you questions, don't be quiet. Answer them. Communication is huge in any aspect of life and so if they're communicating with you, communicate back. But that doesn't always mean if they ask you a question, you talk for the next 30 minutes, answer it and then just wait a little bit, maybe ask them the same question back and then see where the conversation goes and let that, like natural conversation, happen if that's something that they are opening for you and from there you'll build a relationship with them.
Speaker 2:But at first I think it's important to just talk about work. You talk about what they like or why they do things, maybe, and you'll learn quickly if they like to teach or if they don't. And if they don't like to teach, don't ask any more questions about it, because you know, just let them do their job. But it's extremely important for you to read the room and see what the mood is and just like.
Speaker 2:It takes me years to be myself if I start at a new job. Yeah, probably a year it takes me being around people and getting like a feel for it, and I'm really one that sits back and just kind of watches and like listens and observes and like talks here and there if people are asking me questions. But I do not just go into a room or even starting this new job and I am not like just telling everyone what I think and what I believe and everything about my life. No, it's gonna take some time for me to get there, but now it's like I'm the jokester. You know I go into the room and I'm always cracking jokes, but I also they also know that if if crack hits the fan, like I'm there and I'm focused, and I'm focused on what we're doing and I'm helping them because I've proven myself. So that's another thing is prove yourself first and then they'll see how your value and they'll want you there. So you have to like yourself before talking, almost I guess.
Speaker 1:No, that's really good. I love that I can tell like you really enjoy what you're doing. I want to transition over to your social media presence and just talk a little bit about the incubator for this, or the womb of this, and learn more about how you started to build a platform with purpose. You know your site. Your social media bio reads beyond assisting right, so what does that phrase mean to you?
Speaker 2:I just think, beyond assisting, I mean you just go above and beyond almost. And that's why, like, my tagline is raising expectations, because I do feel like sometimes and definitely not all the time, but sometimes at different places I've worked I see that those expectations have been lowered over the years a little bit to where I'm like. I'm sure everyone has their own mindset of how things should go and how they should perform and to what expectation or whatever. But I do feel like you can always be raising your expectations. So that's kind of where that comes from, is it does go beyond assisting. For me, it's not only assisting that I do. I don't only assist in surgery, I am also assisting with my tech, I'm assisting with the circulator. I just go above and beyond what your expectation is and just raise them, help others. You know all of it is incorporated and encompassed in that.
Speaker 1:No, I think that's really great. So, just out of curiosity, like you're scrubbing, you became a first assist. What was it? Was it something that you experienced? Maybe was it an? Was it a student that maybe came to you and you're like, wow, this student was just not prepared to be here. Now they're here, we're going to take care of them. So was there a moment, was there a person, was it a situation that kind of birthed this or how did this happen?
Speaker 2:Not really. I think more than anything, I love teaching and I always have. I've coached my kids in volleyball when they were younger until they got to an age where I'm like, ok, someone else has to coach you because you don't listen to me. But, like when they were younger, I coached them and I love coaching. I absolutely love coaching. I love teaching. I love showing them like the fundamentals and the why you do this and how you do it to get better. Like this is why we're doing this, so that you can get here and then seeing that progression. Like I love being a part of it and so I do love teaching.
Speaker 2:But I feel like since I've been in the first assist role, I haven't been able to teach as much as a tech. So it's almost like I'm sitting there and assisting and there's so much knowledge that I have that I want to share with the tech or the student that's over there. But I also feel like it's not necessarily my place in that moment because I do have to be focusing on assisting the surgeon. But I also love teaching and so I kind of have felt a little bit of a void not being able to teach for so long, or the past few years that I've been an assist and you know I've wanted to at work and whatever. It just hasn't really come up yet to where I'll teach.
Speaker 2:If someone wants to learn on the robot, I am the first one that's like hey, we have a dummy belly, let me go show you. And they learn a lot and I go through. You're going to learn everything about this machine. You're going to learn. You're going to sit on the surgeon's console, you're going to push the card in and you're going to dock the ports like you are going to do everything when I teach you, because I feel like you should understand every element of something.
Speaker 2:Why? Yeah, to be able to anticipate and do your best, you should understand the whole entire process. So I love teaching that and I always teach the whys, but I just haven't been able to, and so this was kind of something that I'm like you know what I'm just gonna? I'm just gonna teach the world then and see who listens, and then I tell one sarcastic whisper of a story and then it's just all like from there it just blew up yeah, I remember the first time I saw it I was just, I was in awe of, just because it was great, it was great information and it was.
Speaker 2:You know, it was the whisper that, like, brought me closer, like, oh, it's the lady that whispers it's so funny but it's, yeah, but it's marketing right, I'm the one doing it, so I don't know how it is oh, that's, that's, that's great.
Speaker 1:The first to sit with first assist whisper yeah, the tongue tired. So what? What kind of feedback do you get from your followers? Um, especially like techs and technicians.
Speaker 2:I get a lot more good feedback than bad. I get so much more positive but my thing is, if I help one person, it's worth it to me. I get a lot of negative but I get so much more positive and I am just I feel like if you're gonna put yourself out there on social media, you have to be prepared for negative comments. But I'm like I've been doing this for far too long. I feel like I'm at an age also that I'm just I don't care what people think. You could say whatever you want, you're not gonna affect me. I have children, okay, you have no idea how much I've been beaten down in my life. I'm like nothing's these strangers that are saying negative things to me. All you're doing is making me get more views, because then I just put your comments out there and other people share it and then I get more views from it and I love it. But I get a lot of positive feedback.
Speaker 2:A lot of that have said that they quit because of this reason and I'm just like I'm so sorry for you. I'm sorry that that happened, that you quit because you didn't have a good preceptor or someone wasn't willing to teach you. Now, that's not fair, because those they probably would have been so great in health care and taking care of these patients and really cared about their jobs. And I feel like they did care about their jobs because they cared enough that they were not willing to get beat down from someone who's supposed to be a part of the team. They cared enough to leave and for their happiness, and so they probably would have been really great in the field. But I can also understand why you would leave that and why you wouldn't want to be a part of it, but it's just unacceptable. It shouldn't be tolerated. We want people to come into the field. Who do you want to take care of you when you're older? I want people who know what they're doing to take care of my kids. So ultimately, the way to do that is for you to share your knowledge with others. How did you learn? You learned because someone was willing to teach you.
Speaker 2:So I get really frustrated when preceptors if you don't want to teach, you need to say it and say I'm not a good teacher, I don't want to teach. I don't think that's an excuse. To be honest, I'm very blunt with what I say and when I say that, but I think that you had to learn somehow. So you just kind of need to suck it up and teach what you can and be as supportive as you can. But for them to treat others like they're stupid is just so unacceptable in my eyes and should not be tolerated.
Speaker 2:They're paying money to go through a program your hospital agreed for them to come in to learn and you are showing them a horrible experience, and that's not what it should be, because that's not what health care should be, because that's what it will turn into is a bunch of negative people that hate their jobs, that train other negative people to hate their jobs, that train other negative people to hate their jobs, and that's just not okay. We don't want that in healthcare. We don't want that to take care of the generations to come. So we have to have those who are willing to teach and care about people's progression and how they're learning in order for health care to get better, and so we have to support each other in that. And so I just like I'm so passionate about that because it just frustrates me I get extremely frustrated?
Speaker 1:No, and that's why I enjoy this conversation so much is because that's my biggest thing with um. Me, too, I love teaching, I love spending time, I love showing the why and explaining to them why this matters. Whether we're testing instruments with the laparoscopic laparoscopic test, or whether we're testing the scissors, whatever we're doing in the process, I like to make sure that they understand the why and how. Has social media helped you grow, professionally or personally?
Speaker 2:I think personally, it's extremely fulfilling for me.
Speaker 2:Someone said they passed their certification exam and thanked me for it. Although I know that wasn't me, that was them fully, it still makes me feel good that, like I, I had an impact on somebody else and hearing those, just hearing those things, is enough for me and so extremely fulfilling for me. Just teaching, like I said, coaching, teaching, looking at the progress, being able to help that process and be there and be someone's support system when they need it, because I do have that knowledge and I'm so willing to share it and having people benefit from it. Like I am the type of person that I don't care if you're higher than me or you have more schooling than me. I'm going to be there cheering you on. What do you want to do next? Okay, that's great. If I wanted to do it, I'll do it, but if it's something I don't want to do professionally, it's not going to make me feel intimidated because it's what you want to do. I'm there for it. Please, like you, do what you are passionate about and what you want to do with your life.
Speaker 2:And there's others that are more insecure with, maybe, what they're doing, that they're not as supportive because maybe they see you grow professionally and they feel like they, they want that, or oh, I can't believe you're going and you shouldn't be doing that. Well then, you do it. You want to do it? Go do it. I don't care like I'll cheer you on even though you're not cheering me on, but I think that that's how it's helped me, like personally, professionally I mean, I don't know, I'm trying to like start something on the side, and so, professionally, it's helping me because I'm able to help others, but also like spread the word more, which is great. I love that I am able to reach so many. But it's funny because, if you know me, I am so not the center of attention type of person at all. And so going on social media and then getting recognized at work or having surgeons come up to me at work like, oh, are you gonna put this on your Instagram later, I'm like, oh, my gosh, that's so awkward. So you watch me on Instagram with my whisper stories and now you're talking to me in the OR about it.
Speaker 2:This is crazy, like I just it's weird, but but I feel like I get so much fulfillment from it, from helping others and knowing that I'm helping other people, that it's that's all worth it to me personally. I'm helping other people. That it's that's all worth it to me personally. But yeah, professionally I think that there's a lot. I can go really far with it. It's just there's so many different directions that I can go professionally and I feel like I'm going to grow that much more and be able to help so many. But ultimately, I think that I've become happier being able to do this and that means so much to me, so much more than anything else. It's not like I'm making a whole bunch of money right now. I wish I was, because I would not be working full time, I would be per diem. That is my ultimate goal, but we'll see. We'll see when I get there.
Speaker 1:I think that's great. I mean, it's really good to hear that experience and it's amazing because there's people that are doing what you're doing, but your heart is so genuine to want to help and I think that when you have a heart like that, it really brings people to you because they know that it's a safe. It's a safe ground to you know you're you're gowning and gloving and you can contaminate it, but you don't feel so bad because you know that, like like if I was to do it in front of you on a video.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to coach you through it. I'm going to say okay.
Speaker 2:I just contaminated that. Do you know how you contaminated it? Did this? All right, hurry and take your gloves off. Or if you drop something, be like guess what doesn't come out of my paycheck, so go grab another. Yell, I don't know, it's just my.
Speaker 2:I don't yell at my kids like my kids. When I yell at my kids, they cry because they'd never see me yell. It takes. I have a lot of patience. Maybe it's through. Have I have five kids, so it could be because I have so many kids that I've just had to have patience, or else I would just go crazy. But I think that you know it takes. If I asked them to do something and it's like the 10th time. Finally I'm getting. I'm getting upset now finally, and so then I yell and then everyone's crying because they're like mom's yelling. What mom doesn't yell? What is happening? So it's not in my, it's not my genetics, it's not my personality. My dad's not that way and I think I'm a lot like my dad in that way.
Speaker 2:But I try to teach my kids also and anyone I'm teaching like that's why I teach that you don't know what that surgeon is thinking about and what they're going through. They're following this patient. I try to teach the same thing to my kids, same thing to my students. Just, you got to.
Speaker 2:You don't know what people go through and so don't judge them, and you always approach someone with kindness because you may have it really good at home, but you've also gone through some things, so be understanding. Be understanding of that. When you come into something and it really is something that isn't always taught and so it's not really something that you even think about until you go through it yourself or someone teaches it to you, you know, but if someone's not telling you, hey, you, I mean to me it's common sense, but that doesn't mean that it's common sense to everybody to treat everyone with kindness and respect and to think that, hey, they have a past too, or they have different things going on in their life and you don't know what it is, so don't act like you do.
Speaker 1:So most, most people that I've met don't? They don't come to that without experience, right? So, like what? Like where's your inspiration come from? Right, your mindset is is just listening to you, and the way you answer is very methodical. You have a lot of wisdom in your industry and in life of just how to respond to situations. So I'm saying, like, where do you get your inspiration from, or what?
Speaker 2:I think it's just.
Speaker 1:Where do you turn to yeah, to get that?
Speaker 2:My family, I think. And like I, I mean I've been through. I've been through stuff in my life, but I still don't think what I've been through is even close to what other people go through. And so I've had friends going through losing stillborn babies and I have never experienced that and could never imagine what that would be like. But I try to like I'm also not going to ignore what happened, and I've had these friends tell me, like you know you, it's better that you're talking to me about it and asking me questions instead of ignoring what happened, whereas not everybody's going to know what to say.
Speaker 2:I don't know what to say, like I am, I have no idea what to say, but I know that they're going through something and I I'm gonna voice my like, how I feel, and let them know like, hey, I'm there for you. What do you need? Because I don't, and I'll say I have no idea what you're going through. I can't imagine what you're going through, but I'm here, you know I'm. I'm here to do whatever I can for you. And that's how that's more how my dad is. Honestly, my dad is probably the most accepting and genuine person that I've ever known in my life. My dad's pretty incredible.
Speaker 1:Clapping it for dad.
Speaker 2:I know my dad's pretty awesome and he's like the hardest worker I know, so you'd only imagine where I get everything from. It's definitely from my dad, but I think he taught me a lot and then just my own personal experiences.
Speaker 2:So I've learned how to adapt to different situations and do what's best for not myself, for other people, and to do what's best for my kids. It's not good for me to have a bad relationship with my ex-husband, because then they would be uncomfortable. You just have to think about things outside of yourself. Everything isn't about you. It's about other things happening around you, and I do think it does take experience and some time to come to that understanding.
Speaker 2:Or maybe just listening to someone else's story like this, where it's like okay, people have things that go on outside of work, but when I get to work, I'm there to help that patient and to help that surgeon. But I also can understand that they may be frustrated or react a way that maybe I wouldn't react. And that's okay because they're a different human being. And if you had more people in the world that thought that way or treated people with the same type of respect, the world would be such a better place. So I just want to be that resource and that help for others and I just don't believe in being cruel and mean to people, because you really don't know what someone else is going through.
Speaker 2:What boundaries do you set when sharing your life in such rough in the like I said, it takes a little while for me to open up, but honestly I am pretty open. So I have I am at least like what I've been through, more than like I have respect for my relationship, so and my marriage. So obviously I'm not going to go tell the world about my marital whatever not that we have problems, we don't't, but I mean I'm not just for the record, she doesn't have problems not have marital problems, everybody.
Speaker 2:I'm good, I'm married, we got lots of kids, we're really busy, but, um, no, I just think that I'm I'm very open, I communicate. I always say that I'm probably an over communicator. If you can't tell, I most definitely will say exactly what I'm thinking. I do think about it, though. I am respectful and I know who. I can say certain things around, but that comes with the being emotionally intelligent, being able to read the room, and that also takes time and you have to look out for those things. Takes time and you have to look out for those things. But ultimately, like I feel like I just communicate a lot and so I'm I'm pretty open. Like someone asked me about my life, then I'm I'm pretty open and I'll talk to them about it and help them kind of understand who I am. But they're usually the ones that have to ask before I give that information. But typically I'm kind of an open book and I'll talk about anything.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's really good. I appreciate your experience for sure, and the way you're empowering those today on the sterilization station is great. So just before we wrap up, I was going to go through some quick questions. You'd like some quick answers. But your best tip for instrument tracking or prep Account sheet management?
Speaker 2:Okay, Always have everything in a designated place and then you'll know where it's at. Like if you always put, because typically you're counting instruments for an open belly case or something that might open. So have it in your head, which I tell every student this I want them to. I want to set up first and I want you to watch it, and then I want you to set up how I set up, and then I don't care how you set up after that. Set up, however the heck you want. But I want you to experience that. But my open belly setup is the same every time. I always put my retractors here, I always put this up on my mayo. You know whatever I might need and so you know where everything's at subconsciously, and it makes it a lot easier and you pay attention to what's on the field. You're paying attention to what instruments are up there and what they're doing in that moment. But if you put everything back exactly where you had it, it's going to make your life so much easier when counting.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's great. What's your, what's your must have item in your locker or bag as a surgical test Chapstick.
Speaker 2:I always have to have chapstick and I have cuticle oil because I have to. I scrub a lot because I'm allergic to Avogadro, so I have to scrub my hands a lot, so they get super.
Speaker 1:What's one thing tech should stop doing in the OR.
Speaker 2:I think paying attention more to their back table than the case.
Speaker 1:Okay, what's the best way to gain a surgeon's trust early on?
Speaker 2:Be open and communicate answer questions, ask questions about what they need just really be open and communicate with them. I think that is one of the biggest things is also acknowledge, so that goes along with communicate. So if they ask for something, don't just immediately look at your nurse and give the eyes like crap, I don't know. It's like they just asked you and then you ignored them. Oh, did y'all catch it? She?
Speaker 1:just whispered on the show. She whispered. I saw it she did. I caught her. She's whispering on the sterilization station, Y'all this is really her, it happened. This is not an AI-generated video. This is not an AI generated video. This is really the instrument whisperer here.
Speaker 2:But seriously, you don't do the like. What you say is I'm sorry, I don't have that, can you, can I go to my nurse, can you please go and get this for me Because I don't have it? Or I tell my nurse and then I say I'm sorry, doc, I did not have that Nurse, such and such is going to get it for us. And that is so much better than completely ignoring, because I have seen that a lot as well, where people just completely ignore and your surgeon has more respect for you if you just admit when you do something wrong or you forget something, or if you just didn't have it. You just don't have it, it's, it's fine. What are we gonna do? How? Like he has to wait, no matter what, so you might as well let him know so that he's not sitting there like I'm just waiting for someone to answer my question. Like, let him know, communicate, acknowledge no, that's great, that's really great.
Speaker 1:Well, I really appreciate you coming on the show today. I'm really looking forward to having you back on for sure to discuss the relationship between sterile processing and surgical technologies, technologists as well as.
Speaker 2:We all work together.
Speaker 1:Yeah, for sure, I definitely want to pick your brain on some things, but in a world where sterile fields matter and time is important, alyssa Ellis is a reminder that surgical technology is both an art and a science, and the humans behind the drapes are heroes in their own right. Her raw, honest passion for excellence and commitment to education, both in and out of the OR, show that surgical techs are more than just assistants. They are essential, and so please follow her on Instagram I think it's at beyondassisting, correct on Instagram, yep when you will laugh, you will learn and you will never look at a back table the same ever again. Don't forget to subscribe to Sterilization Station and leave a review. This episode inspired you. Post on social media, say you listened to the episode, tag myself, tag Alyssa here, and if you're interested in becoming a surgical tech, please reach out to Alyssa. She definitely will guide you in the right way and support her business. I believe she's coaching right, you're coaching.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's a. It's more of an app that has basic stuff up to more experienced and advanced level things. So you have to go to beyondassistingmvtso and download the app to your home screen. There's a seven day free trial right now and if you use CST student and I'm okay with anybody using it it will give you 30% off.
Speaker 1:Wow, did y'all hear that? 30% off? We're definitely going to put that in the show notes with her Instagram tag, the website, everything that you need and please, if you have any questions, please reach out to her. I mean, she gave us so much today in this episode. I'm really glad that she was here and definitely looking forward to collaborating more on some podcasts, because I really personally, was really impressed by a lot of the things that you said and I really got a lot from it. So this really was a great episode and we're glad that you came to inspire those in the world of surgical services.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1:You're welcome.
