Remember those summer reading lists?

One of the things I remember about the summer as a school-aged kid was the summer reading lists. Who comes up with those things anyway? Regardless of what the truth may be, I’d always imagined it was the school librarian in cahoots with the vice-principal (I have no idea why, but I still think that).

I envision these two characters sat some clandestine meeting in a darkened room, plotting in hushed tones a scheme to put as many transcendentalist American poets’ works into the hands of angsty youth as possible. I’d composed this narrative in my mind over the course of about 6 years and it only gets more vivid with time.

I don’t know how many times I brought a dusty copy of “Leaves of Grass” into my home to collect another layer of dust. After a few summers, these voluminous tomes often had an impressive dust layer reminiscent of the geological strata present in many of America’s western national parks. I recall “The Lives of Margaret Fuller” being particularly awe-inspiring, in a geological perspective, to any works by Thoreau or Emerson.

What does that have to do with OSHA and HIPAA training!?!

I’m glad you asked, and I’m pretty sure you know where I am going with this. Safety protocols, proper training, and your practice’s written programs do not have to be dull or covered in a layer of dust. I visit with many practices that fall into the category of simply answering a handful of questions, printing, and loading the materials in their OSHA binder without ever looking them over.

Now I know I’m not going to convince anyone to spend their Saturday morning curled up, coffee in hand, reading OSHA and HIPAA training, but I think with the ease of on-demand online training, there is ample opportunity to work through the nuts and bolts without impacting the productivity of a dental practice.

Okay, one last story…

Climbing onto the “way back express” one last time, I can recall being gently reminded as a youth working in retail that if “I had time to lean, I had time to clean”. I always liked that expression, and I’m working on one to help create a safe working environment for healthcare professionals. So far all I can come up with is, “If you’ve got half a brain, you can train.”

I’m not in love with it… it’s a work in progress…

Seriously though, don’t let your training get “dusty” like some of those old summer reading list books. Complete your training, apply your training, and stay safe.