Soooo, you're observing in the Operating Room (O.R.)...

Hello and nurse OR of Portugal, and experience and emegenci cirurgery

Marie -
Thank you for an excellent post. I have been a surgical RN for the past 5 years. We seem to have more and more students each day. We have Med Students, RN students, LPN students, scrub tech students and high school allied health students. And no, we are not a teaching facility (smile). It is wonderful that they can come to surgery and observe, but sometimes it can be a little frustrating. Like you pointed out, they never know where to stand. The back wall is an excellent place at least until the patient is draped and everything is passed off to the circulator. Afterwards, the nursing students tend to migrate to the CRNA. 9 times out of 10 they go up to anesthesia and ask them how they got into anesthesia school, where they went to anesthesia school and how long they had to work in ICU until they could apply. Although I encourage everyone to further their education, let's focus on the one you are working on now (smile).

Observers, stick some gloves in your pockets just in case you are tempted to pick up anything off of the floor. Don't put yourself at risk.

Observers, stick some gloves in your pockets just in case you are tempted to pick up anything off of the floor. Don't put yourself at risk.

im an OR nurse for three years now here in my country and the US tradition is so different from where im working. i know all the other sterile techniques and stuff and were all practicing it here though your setting is very ideal and are all "by the book." its nice to have read all your tips. it gives me better picture of an operating room setting in the US. makes me better prepared going there.thanks a lot! hope to read a lot more about these things. and hope ill be able to get a chance to be an operating room nurse when i get there because i sooooo love being a scrub and circ at the same time. tnx a lot!! good day!

im an OR nurse for three years now here in my country and the US tradition is so different from where im working. i know all the other sterile techniques and stuff and were all practicing it here though your setting is very ideal and are all "by the book." its nice to have read all your tips. it gives me better picture of an operating room setting in the US. makes me better prepared going there.thanks a lot! hope to read a lot more about these things. and hope ill be able to get a chance to be an operating room nurse when i get there because i sooooo love being a scrub and circ at the same time. tnx a lot!! good day!

i see

I wish I had known this thread existed before my OR rotation for the semester (first week of Feb.) I had an awesome time, however, and followed your advice basically without even knowing it.. I just stayed away from the blue and kept myself out of everyone's way. Biggest thing to remember is that it's an OBSERVATION; I treated it that way, asking questions when appropriate but mostly observing procedures. I found that most nurses and doctors I met were eager and willing to discuss their roles and the procedures at hand. Thanks again for the advice, though. I'm thinking about becoming an OR nurse after a few years of Med-Surg and some critical care experience.

hi thankx nice info...but can any1 tell me something about the ''operation room set up''?? i mean things like ...STANDARD design of OT..N the oneway traffic things...n other things like ...the layout of room..for example..OT table at centre n others...can any1 give me any help....!!

Thanks for the info!

I start my OR rotation in a couple of weeks, I hope this stuff is helpful! Keep it up!