Cath Lab Movie Madness: Everything I Learned about Cath Lab Management I Heard at the Movies

The American Film Institute (AFI) recently published AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes, which was also made into a three-hour television special shown on CBS. It is amazing to discover that so many of the expressions used today, at various times and occasions, actually came from the movies. A few famous lines will likely come immediately to mind ones that you have heard or even used yourself from time to time. Since there are 100 quotes, there are probably many more circumstances in which the prudent use of these quotes might assist with your everyday management, or at least make things more interesting in the cath lab. You may want to consider only silently repeating some of these quotes, but they are usable quotes nonetheless. It is also possible that in certain circumstances, your employees are doing the very same thing with their own special list of movie quotations. Younger employees may have quotes from movies that you have never heard of, but remember, these are the top 100 movie quotes of all time. The Stage Is Set Imagine that you have just gone through a very tough JCAHO visit and the focus was on the cath lab, conscious sedation and nursing documentation. Your cath lab passed, surveyors gave it a special mention as having done an outstanding job, and the hospital CEO has singled you out for special recognition. You feel great and cry out, I’m king of the world! (Titanic) Imagine now the same scene, only this time the JCAHO surveyor is very difficult. She has focused on some problem areas in the cath lab and given you a really hard time. As she is leaving, you could say, I’ll get you, my pretty and your little dog too! (Wizard of Oz) You could also consider refocusing your energy to address the issues at hand by saying, Nobody puts Baby in a corner! (Dirty Dancing) Scene Two Everyone has arrived at the cath lab on a Friday morning to find the schedule in a disasterous state. The slowest physicians are scheduled first, the call team was in half the night, two people have called in sick and you promised two staff members that they could leave early. Lots of movie quotes might rally the troops, such as, To infinity and beyond! (Toy Story) Looking at the long day ahead, you mutter to yourself, I feel the need for speed. (Top Gun) As you walk into the cath lab where one of the staff members is having difficulty setting up for a case, you look at the individual and say, Snap out of it! (Moonstruck) Approaching your staff by the scheduling display, you hear someone say, Who’s on first? (The Naughty Nineties) How do you effectively encourage your staff? You could try using a few motivational quotes to get them going. Carpe Diem. Seize the day, boys, make your lives extraordinary! (Dead Poets Society) If that doesn’t work, you could retreat to your office and feign sickness or even chest pain. You say to your second-in-command that you can’t help make today better and then add, Tell ‘em to get out there with all they got and win one for the Gipper. (Knute Rockne All American) Back in the cath lab, one of your staff members needs something and shouts across the room, Yo, Adrian! (Rocky) As the world’s slowest invasive physician backs into the room from the scrub area, the circulator quietly says, Heeeeere’s Johnny! (The Shining) The procedure does not get off to a good start, and for whatever reason, the physician is struggling mightily to position the catheter where he wants it. You think back to one of your all-time favorite movies, Caddy Shack, and say silently, Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greens keeper, now about to become the Master’s champion. It looks like a miracle…It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! As the physician finally finishes the case and leaves the room, the circulator says, Hasta la vista, baby! in her best Austrian accent. (Terminator 2 Judgment Day) Just as you thought, the slow cardiologist was done for the day, and you see him hurrying back to the control room. One of the technologists at the monitoring station sees him coming and says, Houston, we have a problem. (Apollo 13) You know he is about to tell you that he needs to do an emergency procedure, NOW. Before he can ask, you look at him and think, You’ve got to ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk? (Dirty Harry) You allow the physician to schedule the emergency procedure, and as you are leaving the cath lab, the CEO walks into the control room for a surprise visit. Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. (Casablanca) Amazingly, the CEO is nice for a change and wants to visit with you to thank you for all your help with the recent JCAHO inspection. You think to yourself, Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you? (The Graduate) She is charming and asks for your help in an enterprise-wide quality improvement campaign. When she asks if you will help, you respond, You had me at ‘hello.’ (Jerry Maguire) Back in cath lab one, the computer crashes, and the service technician says he can get there late that afternoon. The senior technologist says, Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get. (Forrest Gump) Never being one to give up, the technologist tries one more thing with the computer and suddenly, the screen blinks on and the program re-boots itself. It’s alive! It’s alive! he shouts. (Frankenstein) As quickly as it started, the screen goes blank. Well, nobody’s perfect, he quips. (Some Like It Hot) Since the case cannot begin, he says, with his own very strong Austrian accent, I’ll be back, as he heads off to lunch. (Terminator) You think that it can’t get much worse, After all, tomorrow is another day! (Gone with the Wind) It has become clear that you will need another crew to work along with the call team to finish the day’s work before midnight. As you contemplate who you could approach to volunteer, you say, Round up the usual suspects. (Casablanca) One of the nurses who never offers to help, volunteers to assist, but under her breath says, Show me the money. (Jerry Maguire) Grateful that she offered assistance, you say, Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship. (Casablanca) Finally, the service tech calls in from some remote hospital. A heated discussion ensues and finally, totally frustrated, the senior tech says, What we have here is a failure to communicate. (Cool Hand Luke) The service tech tries to explain the terms of the contract and finally says in exasperation, You can’t handle the truth! (A Few Good Men) The circulating nurse, overhearing the heated conversation, mutters, Love means never having to say you’re sorry. (Love Story) You think to yourself, Fasten your seatbelts, it’s going to be a bumpy night. (All About Eve) You hear the final snippets of the conversation between your senior tech and the service representative who has refused to come in until he receives an apology. The senior tech cannot believe his ears and says, Go ahead, make my day. (Sudden Impact) You tell the tech that he has to get service this evening, and you ask him what he can do to fix the problem. Your tech says he will fix the problem and adds, I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse. (Godfather) Finally, the game plays itself out, and the service representative promises to come in, no matter what the time, to fix the problem. The senior tech says, May the force be with you. (Star Wars) You can’t believe what a day this has been, and think to yourself, You don’t understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could’ve been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am. (On the Waterfront) Your shift is finally over; everything has worked itself out once more. On your way out, your colleague from radiology says that he missed you at the management meeting and that someone asked if you were there. You look at him, smile, and say, Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn. (Gone with the Wind) On the way home, you decide to stop and meet some coworkers at the local pub. You sit down at the bar. When the bartender asks what you will have, you look at him, smile, and say, A martini. Shaken, not stirred. (Goldfinger) After all, it’s only the movies. The American Film Institute’ Web site may be found at www.afi.com. It features a number of lists, including the complete list of quotes, along with the top 100 films.

NULL