The 90s were a wild time. One summer, while at a scout camp in Kananaskis, Alberta Canada, our troop was invited to try out a zip line. We were the first scouts to zip down a cable tied between two trees, close to 100 feet apart. While the descent felt like three stories, it was likely only 15 or so feet of an elevation difference and memory may be exaggerating it a bit. Either way, the excitement was electric.
Safety Net Failure
One leader stood at the top ensuring the line was orderly, another ran the handle/pulley system back to the top, and two semi-fortunate dads were stationed a few feet in front of the tree where the line ended, just a few feet away from a segment of the Elbow River. I watched the first few volunteers clamor for the front of the line. The kid in front of me pushed off to gain more speed, but when he hit the safety rope at the bottom, he appeared to be in slight pain where it made contact with his ribs, but that did not make me pause before committing to take my turn.
I launched down the line, feeling I could set a speed record. As I kept my eye on the upcoming safety rope, I pulled my body up to brace for impact. This is where the stories may differ, but I will try to share the basic elements. The general understanding is that I somehow slipped up and over the safety rope when I pulled my body up, realizing I was going to hit the tree I put my feet down to slow my velocity. One of the roots tweaked my ankle, I didn’t let go from the line before hitting the tree, and fell backward into the river. For years, my brother and father cited my ability to shrink my taller-than-average frame to sail over that rope, then uncoil to still hit the tree and end up in the river was something that belonged in science fiction.
With my ankle swelling and bruised, I was whisked to a local hospital where it was confirmed to have multiple tears in the soft tissue. A cast was applied. I returned to my tent despite pleas to my father to let me go home. Embarrassed to face my peers with my cast and crutches, I didn’t predict it would become a legendary story, with hordes of signatures by the end of the camp.
Lessons Learned
There are so many lessons I’ve drawn from that innocent experience. Proper safety requires planning, education, and perhaps a review of best practices. I don’t want to discount that the leaders may have had previous success with their setup and admit I could have been an anomaly. Either way I continue to reflect on this moment personally and professionally. There were many things defined when we first climbed to the launch point, but later we learned some of the opportunities for failure.
I also look at the volume of regulations governing pharmacy practice and the number of things with little room for error. Many tasks can be simple to perform, while others require orientation and competency, but all need to be completed correctly and in a timely manner. This is particularly challenging with rotating shifts, new team members, and real-time practice updates. If you are a leader over these teams, and responsible for the compliance and safety of you and your team while providing care for patients, there are ways to enable people to do the right thing every shift they work.
How This Applies to Your Practice
In 2024, we have the opportunity to build all compliance needs into a masterfully designed automated platform customized to each operation.
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We are committed to working with hospitals and pharmacies to ensure confidence in their compliance strategy. We are looking forward to connecting with you to share more about our journey. Click here for more information!