How many times have you walked into your work area’s supply closet only to find yourself staring at empty bins? Do you sometimes feel confused and frustrated by your supply closet’s wide array of similar supplies? This can be especially frustrating – and time-consuming – when nurses are new to a work area, or are visiting the area (as travel or float nurses). But, even when you have worked in an area for a long time, there have probably been times when you raced into your supply closet for a vital supply, only to find that many of your reliable supplies have been somehow rearranged.

Is there some reason that facilities don’t standardize all supply closets? Sure, each nursing area probably prefers that their supply room be tailored to their particular needs. Just as a chef may prefer having his kitchen set up in a certain way, nurses get used to finding and storing supplies in preset places. But, think about it. Once the supply locations were all standardized, we would know where to look, every time, every place. Many of our supplies are already universal – dressing materials, syringes, and toothbrushes, for instance. Universal standardization could greatly diminish nurse frustration when looking for these basic supplies. The more unusual supplies could be housed in their own special section of the supply closet.

Health care professionals are already noting advantages of standardization in other areas. Take, for example, documentation. Many facilities have started to develop pre-established (and mandatory) templates for documentation. Most nurses are also familiar with the numerous policy and protocol lists that facilities require for every conceivable procedure. Timeouts with standardized checklists are also becoming the norm.

So, why not standardize supply closets? Do you think facilities should organize all of medical supplies according to a pre-set pattern? Or would that merely add another bureaucratic layer to your work life? Let’s hear your thoughts.