[WitchyRN]

Every OR I've worked in, patients were always informed about students/observers etc, and given the oppourtunity to decline. The place I am now is a teaching hospital and patients are made aware of this also.

I was also taught in nursing school(and tech school too) to introduce myself to the patient before a procedure, and to ask them if it was OK if I was in the room.

Personally, it doesn't bother me. I've had several surgeries and I figure, people have to learn somewhere..as long as the students were respectful, I'm not going to worry about it. Often, the med students and nursing students were very nice and spent a lot of time talking to you, making sure you had warm blankets etc.

[WitchyRN]

Originally Posted by Anxious Patient

As I'm on the patient end, I'd like to know if the patient is informed that a high school student (job shadowing) will be observing the operation. Personally, as my 2 operations have been gyn related, I would be appalled if teenagers or any non-medical person would be allowed in the room when my feet are in lithotomy stirrups, and the surgeon is operating between my legs. Please tell me it isn't true.

They wouldn't put a high school shadowing student in a GYN case. Actually, I don't ever think I've seen a high school student shadowing in the OR. Med and nursing students , yes.

Usually, they'll put(nursing) students in very basic cases. Lap chole's seem to be the popular choice, along with knee arthroscopies, and simple Ortho.

In nursing school, they put some of us in to observe C-sections and vag deliveries, but we always asked the patient's permission first.