Nurses are a savvy, resourceful group. I’m not sure if this is an innate or acquired trait. But it is definitely a common one in our profession. Perhaps necessity really is the mother of invention. Whether or not they call it by name, most nurses are familiar with the concept of a “workaround.”

A workaround is an unapproved strategy used for accomplishing a required task. There are many reasons that nurses resort to workarounds. Due to the crisis nature of much of our work, we often lack the time to troubleshoot malfunctioning equipment, missing or damaged supplies, or noncompliant computer screens. We have to find a way to make it work. STAT.

While resourcefulness is a positive trait, workarounds can lead to safety concerns. Hospital procedures and protocols are generally based on established research and safety criteria. For instance, when using a scanner to record patient identification bands or medications, it is never a good idea to override the system. Manually entering ID numbers or barcodes will defeat the purpose of this safety-based technology. On the other hand, patients must receive their medications in a timely manner. While it can be both frustrating and challenging, for safety’s sake, nurses should take the time (or ask a colleague) to contact IT and pharmacy to report scanning issues. It is better to report the problem than to merely resort to working around the system.

There are countless forms of workarounds. Sometimes nurses adapt tubing or other equipment to replace missing or broken supplies. Unfortunately, these workarounds can lead to dangerous confusion and severe safety concerns when other nurses don’t recognize the intent of re-arranged tubing or Geri rigged equipment.

There is a fine line between commendable resourcefulness and dangerous workarounds. If nurses in your hospital frequently rely on workarounds in order to efficiently complete required tasks, your hospital may have an administrative problem. Why are there so many broken or missing supplies? Why are medication labels damaged or computers malfunctioning?

Report your concerns about missing supplies and broken equipment to supervisors and administrators. Put in work orders. Help other nurses troubleshoot malfunctioning equipment.

Do you often find yourself without the supplies and equipment you need to effectively do your job? How do you handle these problems?