What are specific duties for the scrub...

Specialties Operating Room

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I have been reading about the duties of the circulator but how about the scrub? What are considered duties of the particular jobs, scrubbing and circulating.

We have a little problem in our OR where most of the scrubs don't come into the room until most of the supplies, equipment are in the room and all is opened. As a circulator, I am frustrated with the scrubs not taking a more active role in getting instruments and such...

How is it done in your OR...

Thanks, Karen:

The duties of the surgical tech., is to get the things they will use and need ready for the case. Everyone in the room suppose to work as a team! The more you work as a team the easier the day will be for the team. The scrub tech. should help open as much as they can but be a good judge on when it's time to go wash them hands to set up the case.

Thanks for the quick reply. Who's responsibility is it to get instruments ready and who to get the room ready? I am really tired of feeling like I am being dumped on?

Thanks, Karen

The scrub tech. should get the instruments, everyone should help out with getting the room ready. See like I said before it's about teamwork. Usually it's best to have a team that works great together. Does your hospital have scrub assistants? They are to help out as well. TEAMWORK is the key in surgery! I'm a tech my first case usually is to start at 7:30 when report is over i'm getting the things i'm going to need ready for the case. I let the nurse know what i'm doing so he or she can go check the patient in. Usually I work with the same team everyday. We work great together with no problems. Hope things get better for you.

I would check the job description for duties associated with the scrub role and give a copy to your scrub. If you are not in an environment which supports self governing then go to your immediate supervisor and ask for advice in handling the problem. I experience some of that in my OR job but it is mainly with staff who have been there a long time and feel they do not have to help. This is being addressed at this time and with good results. With responsibility there must come accountability. Any dumping of duty only hurts the patient in the end and that is enough reason to correct this problem STAT.

Memphisgurl,

where are you a tech at?

brett

You're experiencing one of our age old conflicts in the OR! Sometimes, you even hear of the opposite happening and it will be that the RN takes advantage of the ORT, which is just as big of a problem. As our peers have indicated, the key to a smooth and successful flow of operations in the OR is TEAMWORK! It doesn't sound like you have a case cart system or evening/night crew pulling cases the day before. If you are having to pull everything the morning of surgery, I can't imagine how it would be tolerated that the RN ready the room plus interview/check-in the patient, etc. I'm a firm believer in respectfully and honestly addressing the person(s) to whom you are having the difficulty with first and then if that doesn't help, tell them you will be consulting the manager. I think you'll be surprised to sdee that most people do what they are allowed to get away with! Good luck.

:kiss The Circulator and the Scrub need to work as a team in order for the OR to run efficiently. This is so vital. I can testify that as a surg. tech. I certainly do not want to enter an OR unprepared for my case. Nor do I want my circulator having to run for supplies during the case, whereas that is so frustrating for the circulator. I am appalled that there are actually surg. techs that do this. At my hospital we open rooms as a team as often as possible and therefore the supplies are checked and double checked. It is a disaster not to be prepared for a case as we all know. Not only can it be detrimental for the patients, but you have to deal with frustrated surgeons who love to vent everything onto the OR team anyways! We are fortunate however, that our OR is small and we are assigned our rooms the day before and pull our own cases. This helps us to avoid any mishaps and furthermore, allows us to prepare in advance the next days cases.

I am currently working in a ambulatory surgery center and really enjoy my job. However, I am having the same problem with the tech I work with. Our facility is small, 2 OR rooms, so we are responsible for room turn-over, sterilization of instruments, ordering supplies, etc. At this time there is only the two of us working in the back, with one girl cross training to help in the back. When a case is complete, I take the patient to the recovery area, give report, assist with settling the patient, and return to the OR to clean the room, set up the next case (which I have pulled the day before), start opening the next case making sure the equipment and supplies are as they need to be. Meanwhile, the scrub tech. is out smoking one of her many cigarettes. As soon as the instruments are cleaned, which takes less than 5 min. she heads out the door to smoke. On occasion she may come back in time to mop the floor but somehow manages to find something more pressing to do than open the room until almost everything has been done. I have brought this to the attention of our administrator after my other efforts have fallen to the way-side. The biggest problem is she thinks we can't function without her and she can do whatever she wants with no reprimand. Thank goodness we have a new boss who can see through people. She also does not like the fact that as the RN, I am the one in charge when the boss has to be out of town. Especially since she has been there 6 months longer than I have. I really find this frustrating and sad. We are there for the patients! Why not work together?!

One word...............TEAMWORK......maybe you could address this at your next staff meeting

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