abandonment defined?

[penguin2]

In an OR setting, what exactly constitutes patient abandonment?? Is the OR circulator allowed to leave the room to take breaks, use the bathroom, etc?? I've always been told that leaving the room- other than going out for supplies/equipment was abandonment. I have now started working in a very relaxed out patient OR, and to see the OR circulator wandering around talking to other staff outside OR is commonplace. I am not comfortable w/this, as I came from a hospital setting where we had to call out of the room to get relief for bathroom breaks, etc. Here when I ask for a quick break I'm told it's fine to just leave the room. Is this OK??

[zerby1470]

I would not feel comfortable with that. If things go bad, they can go bad quick. If you are not there, you cannot help. Bad for the patient and bad for your license.

[ewattsjt]

I would like to first start by acknowledging that I am an associate degree CST who has returned to school for RN.

Abandonment or bad practice or whatever one would want to call it; it is something you are playing with your license. At my facility a lot of the anesthesiologists do this same practice. Can you see any kind of implications with regards to them if something went wrong like malignant hyperthermia or a crash and they were gone? Does the staff actually document when they (anyone) leaves and come back in or is it a falsification of pt. records as well?

In a previous post I quoted laws from certain states with regards of having a circulator present. Some states require the presences in the room while some have no law what so ever. While I am sure that it would be looked upon as a common standard of practice to leave for instruments/supplies etc…I could not phantom any board or court would agree that leaving to use the restroom or break or to simply socialize would hold to any standard of practice.

You have good reason to worry. Hope my post helped you to see what you already knew.

[Jarnaes]

I'd submit my resignation and find another job today!!!

[shodobe]

I guess then I have been abandoning patients left and right for over 30 years. I definitely would not go to lunch without relief but in certain situations where there is no one to break you and I have to go to the bathroom, I will go when the time is appropriate. I have been known to wonder up the hall, within earshot, to get a cracker or something to drink. Is the patient abandonment? I think not. Interpretation of laws is however you want to read into them. In 30 years of OR nursing I have yet to hear of any story about things going bad just after someone left the room. If you know what you are doing then you will know the right time to "break out". No one I know of that needs to leave their room for a short time, will always asl someone to "watch" their room while they are gone. No problems. Leaving the room to go and gossip or shoot the breeze, well that is another problem.

[mikethern]

When I circulate, if I leave the room, I walk quickly and get back to the room as soon as possible. I will leave the room to pee but I do it lightning fast.

[Scrubby]

You should always tell the scrub nurse/nurse in charge when you need to leave the room. If i'm the only one scouting (we normally have two scout nurses) i will ask the anaesthetic nurse to cover for me until i get back.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

When I was a student doing OR rotation they used one anesthesiologist for two rooms, with staggered start times. All unofficial of course, but worked very well for the hospital in question.

I see no reason to get an extra person long enough to pee. During my OB years we had to pop in and out for many reasons, and I wasn't going to announce my body functions.