What Is An OR Tech?!

WarmBlanket · Feb 12, 2008

ShariDCST :

As a Nationally Certified Surgical Tech for 8 years , and a Registered Nurse for the past 16 , I beg to differ with many of your comments. When I was a CST I had some of the same misconceptions about circulating nurses.I remember looking at them and thinking that they had it pretty easy. How hard could it be ? And ALL that paper work ! YUK ! But I was blessed to have two RN's take an interest in me and encourage me to get my nursing degree. And with no disrespect to you, your comparison of the schooling involved to obtain a nursing degree with that of a CST is not accurate at all. I went through both so I know what I am talking about.

I would also like to address some of your statements that seem to be prevalent in your posts. Lets start with you "second-circulating"--- if thats what they called it and thats what you thought you were doing , great ! But unless you are a Registered Nurse ,you were not the second circulator in the room. You yourself said it "was a nice break" and you were right on the money with that one. And by the way : that ton of paper work we are doing is a minute by minute documentation of everything that happens in that room during that case. I have my eye on my patient, I am looking at the monitors and what is in the suction canisters , I am listening to the doctors and trying to make sure that you have what you need when you need it.

I don't want to toot my or any nurses horn, and I have a feeling you are an excellent CST. I spend a good deal of time before during and after surgery making sure you not only have what you need but helping in anyway I can to make your day go smoothly. I was there for many years and a good circulator can make the day better. My main concern is that when a new nurse comes into the room that you give off the negative vibe that you do in your posts. Your continuous assertion that OR nursing is " not nursing in the broadest concept of the word" shows either ignorance or the subtle undermining that new nurses must deal with in every department in the hospital. My best way to sum it up is : there is a difference between doing something correctly and knowing why it has to be done correctly. And I am not talking about counts or open gloving or sterile technique . I am talking about the things that go bump in the night like malignant hyperthermia , disseminated intravascular coagulation resulting from transfusions etc , these are the times when an OR nurse is just a nurse. It does not matter if I don't work on "the floor" because I am competent , confident have the skills to make a difference in someones life.

ShariDCST · Feb 12, 2008

sharidcst :
as a nationally certified surgical tech for 8 years , and a registered nurse for the past 16 , i beg to differ with many of your comments. when i was a cst i had some of the same misconceptions about circulating nurses.i remember looking at them and thinking that they had it pretty easy. how hard could it be ? and all that paper work ! yuk ! but i was blessed to have two rn's take an interest in me and encourage me to get my nursing degree. and with no disrespect to you, your comparison of the schooling involved to obtain a nursing degree with that of a cst is not accurate at all. i went through both so i know what i am talking about.
i would also like to address some of your statements that seem to be prevalent in your posts. lets start with you "second-circulating"--- if thats what they called it and thats what you thought you were doing , great ! but unless you are a registered nurse ,you were not the second circulator in the room. you yourself said it "was a nice break" and you were right on the money with that one. and by the way : that ton of paper work we are doing is a minute by minute documentation of everything that happens in that room during that case. i have my eye on my patient, i am looking at the monitors and what is in the suction canisters , i am listening to the doctors and trying to make sure that you have what you need when you need it.
i don't want to toot my or any nurses horn, and i have a feeling you are an excellent cst. i spend a good deal of time before during and after surgery making sure you not only have what you need but helping in anyway i can to make your day go smoothly. i was there for many years and a good circulator can make the day better. my main concern is that when a new nurse comes into the room that you give off the negative vibe that you do in your posts. your continuous assertion that or nursing is " not nursing in the broadest concept of the word" shows either ignorance or the subtle undermining that new nurses must deal with in every department in the hospital. my best way to sum it up is : there is a difference between doing something correctly and knowing why it has to be done correctly. and i am not talking about counts or open gloving or sterile technique . i am talking about the things that go bump in the night like malignant hyperthermia , disseminated intravascular coagulation resulting from transfusions etc , these are the times when an or nurse is just a nurse. it does not matter if i don't work on "the floor" because i am competent , confident have the skills to make a difference in someones life.

i'm sorry you misunderstood what i was trying to say here. first off, i never said the educational preparation in becoming a cst and becoming a nurse is the same - only that you can do either in the same amount of time, comparing the time required in doing a 2 year associates degree st program and an asn program. nothing else was inferred, implied or suggested.

i have no misconceptions in viewing what circulating nurses do during a case. i understand what they do, why and how. perhaps i didn't state it as clearly as i could have in the beginning. i understand the concepts of constantly analyzing the situation, the patient's condition, the progression of the case, the documentation that is needed, and all the other responsibilities required. there was no attempt to downplay the important role they play during every surgical intervention. it is not, nor should it ever be an "easy" job.

i have also been approached on inumerable occassions by rn's who ask me if i have interest in getting my nursing degree, in assisting me should i decide to pursue it, and encouraging me to do so. i simply have no interest in going through that at this stage in my life. i have been through most of a nursing program - granted it was a pn program - but it was enough to tell me that particular career choice simply isn't what suits me best. no disrespect intended to any rn anywhere - it's just not my cup of tea. it's not a lot of folks' desire or passion - and that's what it should be in order to do the job well. the paperwork portion of my comments was not intended to be any kind of a slight - lord knows that everyday you are required to do more and more. i understand what is involved with that, and i know that would make me frustrated in having to do so much paperwork while also trying to keep everything else under control at the same time. it's a constant source of frustration for most nurses i know - trying to keep up with the reams and reams of paperwork, computer charting and whatnot seems to be what makes their job tougher than it really should be. the minute-to-minute documentation of a case is something that requires a great deal of analysis, attention to detail, and dedication to accuracy. this is not an unknown concept. i simply find that it would drive me batty!

as far as being a "second circulator" is concerned, that is indeed what it was called, and not to define it as being the "second circulator" in the room. it was to indicate that it was a lesser version of what the rn's were doing. i take no offense at your comments - just that i need to clarify my own. it's like being an "assistant to the circulator" and i did indeed perform that function. the rn in the room is of course the "circulator" of record - i was assisting her/him as my scope of practice allowed. i was the "gopher" as it were when it came to retrieving needed supplies, passing items to the sterile field, tying gowns, running the autoclave between cases and helping the scrub retrieve sterile instruments from it when they were done, assisting in room turnovers, and even in completing some paperwork, which was then reviewed and signed off by the rn, and any other task of which i was deemed capable and worthy. i never at any point exceeded legal or professional standards regarding my scope of practice. i was also not the scrub person in the room, or of record - the surgeon in those particular cases brought his own. the "nice break" comment was only meant to indicate that it was a nice change in routine for the day, and nothing more. not to indicate that it was in some way less work, or less important. everyone in the room has a role to fulfill, and being able to "change hats" as it were every once in a while is a refreshing change.

as for assisting me in my day, a good circulator is very much appreciated when they perform that role, and having been a cst yourself, that makes you uniquely qualified to view this role in a way that anyone else who does not have a scrub background like we do cannot. and i always express my appreciation when a circultor is attentive to my needs as well as the rest. but, just as you may have worked with techs who seem to go out of their way to make your day tough, i have worked with a few rn circulators who couldn't give a rat's hat whether my day was going well or not, or if the surgeon, not me, is the one making the request for extra, or different, supplies and equipment during the case - i get the flack for it. the eye-rolling and the audible sighing i can do without - i obviously cannot break out of the case everytime i need more laps, extra suture, or the surgeon drops an instrument that simply must be replaced. it's those types of people that can make my day a nightmare in some respects. on the other hand - when the rn is there with more laps before i ask for it because she's actually been paying attention to the count as it goes during the case, or offers extra sutures when things aren't going well with closing, or she's been paying attention to the muted conversation between the surgeon and myself regarding what might be needed next, or the millions of other things that can require additions, adjustments, or accomodations during a case that isn't going "textbook" - it's like a light in a dark room - and much much appreciated. not all circulators are that aware - or even care to be.

i also do everything i possibly can prior to the start of a case to make sure i have everything i might possibly need during the case already in the room, if not already on the field, to reduce the "run and fetchits" that might be asked of the rn while she is already busy with her own numerous duties. i have also checked the room and made sure that everything i can think of that might be needed by the rn is in the room as well to reduce her workload as much as possible. planning ahead, and thinking of posibilities is part of my job, and it's come in handy on more than one occassion. a good circulating nurse can make my day - and everone else's in the room - go smooth as glass - and a bad one can turn it into a display of "hog on ice" so to speak.

no insult was intended by my comment regarding or nursing - i was mostly echoing what i have heard many or nurses say themselves - that this is not "nursing" in the concept that many outsiders and others who do not know what or nursing is about might think of when they think of nursing per se. no attempt was made, and no slight was implied that what circulting rns do is less important, or less skilled than that which nurses on the units do. it's merely different in some distinct ways. the patients pass through the or unit on an "in and out" basis - they are not long term residents so to speak. the fact that they require an excellent level of nursing care and nursing judgement is not in dispute - simply that outsiders are not aware of the differences.

as for new nurses in the ors, i go out of my way to make them feel welcome, at home, and help in any way i can to make their orientation to the unit as smooth and trouble-free as possible. i am a very good teacher, and have had more than once been complimented or commended on my abilities to teach and make welcome new staff to the or no matter what their role. i have taught new rns how to scrub, helped them find their way around the rooms and departments when they are learning the circulating role, and generally been a "tour guide" of sorts within the scope of my practice. i have been sought out for that particular role on more than one occassion, and i can't imagine it would be because i do it badly, or make people feel inferior in any way.

i love and admire nurses - i always have - and i find it a personal sadness that i feel i am not suited to become one of them. there has been no slight intended in any of my comments, and my apologies if i was misunderstood, or did not phrase my comments in such a way as to imply otherwise. on the other hand, i have found a role to which i am well suited, and i intend to keep doing it to the best of my abilities as long as it's possible to keep doing so.

WarmBlanket · Feb 12, 2008

To ShariDCST

I apologize for my harsh post. This was a classic example of throwing out the baby with the bath. I will receive a "code brown" by the OR gods as punishment. My comments should not have been directed at your post. I am just continually amazed at the behavior of so many nurses I work with. Please let me vent and I will post a new thread on this when I become more familiar with the site.

I am an agency nurse so I see it all :I am continually amazed by the rude behavior that occurs when a new nurse comes to the OR . Most often they are thrown to the wolves and do not stay. Time after time I have seen this. But the way some nurses treat the scrub techs makes me want to scream . I have actually been pulled aside and questioned as to why I was mopping the floor. When I told them I was just helping out, they said it was not my job, the techs would do it, I should use my time to take a break ! And your comment about the eye rolling and sighing : Please ! I can see if the tech is experienced and just did not prepare the case correctly but what do these nurses think their job is ? Just get what they ask for !!! Complain after the case. Do they think you enjoy having a doctor turn into a maniac because they have to wait to get a suture.

I will close with an event that happened to me about 2 months ago. I was sent to work at a hospital that has a huge shortage of OR nurses . I was working with a new tech and we were getting the room ready when the doctor came in and asked for a different tray. Normally I would continue opening the room and the tech would get the tray. ( I didn't know where special trays were kept ) Because she was new I went with her so we could both learn. We were in the sub-sterile room when a nurse asked me why I was helping her ; that she needed to learn by herself. My comment to her was " maybe if she did not have to spend so much time looking for everything she could be working on her set-up and be more confident during the case". I guess she did not like my reply because she ran towards me grabbed me around my neck and pushed me against the wall ! She let go of me and I told her if she ever touched me again not only would I see to it that she would lose her job, but I would see her in court..... Another day in paradise : )

ShariDCST · Feb 13, 2008

to sharidcst
i apologize for my harsh post. this was a classic example of throwing out the baby with the bath. i will receive a "code brown" by the or gods as punishment. my comments should not have been directed at your post. i am just continually amazed at the behavior of so many nurses i work with. please let me vent and i will post a new thread on this when i become more familiar with the site.
i am an agency nurse so i see it all :i am continually amazed by the rude behavior that occurs when a new nurse comes to the or . most often they are thrown to the wolves and do not stay. time after time i have seen this. but the way some nurses treat the scrub techs makes me want to scream . i have actually been pulled aside and questioned as to why i was mopping the floor. when i told them i was just helping out, they said it was not my job, the techs would do it, i should use my time to take a break ! and your comment about the eye rolling and sighing : please ! i can see if the tech is experienced and just did not prepare the case correctly but what do these nurses think their job is ? just get what they ask for !!! complain after the case. do they think you enjoy having a doctor turn into a maniac because they have to wait to get a suture.
i will close with an event that happened to me about 2 months ago. i was sent to work at a hospital that has a huge shortage of or nurses . i was working with a new tech and we were getting the room ready when the doctor came in and asked for a different tray. normally i would continue opening the room and the tech would get the tray. ( i didn't know where special trays were kept ) because she was new i went with her so we could both learn. we were in the sub-sterile room when a nurse asked me why i was helping her ; that she needed to learn by herself. my comment to her was " maybe if she did not have to spend so much time looking for everything she could be working on her set-up and be more confident during the case". i guess she did not like my reply because she ran towards me grabbed me around my neck and pushed me against the wall ! she let go of me and i told her if she ever touched me again not only would i see to it that she would lose her job, but i would see her in court..... another day in paradise : )

firstly - apology accepted - though mostly unnecessary. i took no offense - just that i apparently had not been clear enough or had misstated my position, which i have been known to do from time to time in an effort to explain it.

second off - i must tell you that you are much more patient with this individual who viciously assaulted you than i would have been. we would all have been in the director's office post-haste to deal with that issue on the spot. never, ever would i tolerate being attacked in such a heinous manner - no matter who it was or what the circumstances.

and i agree with you 100% when it comes to surgery staff - not just nurses - who "eat their young" and spit them out. it's a recognized syndrome, although entirely unnecessary, inexcusable and intolerable. i believe it's been called "lateral violence" in some articles regarding the bad behavior that causes new people to turn tail and run in the other direction as fast as they can. (in fact, i just used that as a search parameter, and found a wealth of articles addressing that very issue.) i have been subjected to such behavior, sadly enough by a few of "my own" in the cst world. it's discouraging to say the least, infuriating at most and does nothing productive for either individual. i've been "set up" by techs in the past when i was new at different hospitals, and they purposely told me i would or would not need certain items, or to set up in certain ways, when anything but that was the truth, which i was embarrassed to find out during the case. very unprofessional on their part, but i did not name names or place blame during the case - i simply apologized, corrected the error to the best of my ability, and then took the errant tech aside later and laid it out for them in no uncertain terms.

i have also been a traveler/agency tech for a while - although i stayed in state to do it. i figured if techs coming in from out of state could be making all that cash and benefits from shortages of staff, why i couldn't i do it too and stay right here? so, i did. i don't recall ever being treated as less than gold when walking in the door at any assignment - by the time an institution resorts to paying the fees to hire agency/traveler people they are desperate enough to value anyone who walks in the door. at more than one assignment, i was asked to stay on for longer periods of time, and at a couple of them, i was hired to work on their staff in the institution itself on a prn basis.

the deplorable lack of respect that some staff members have for other members of the or team is disquieting and completely counterproductive. i fail to see why people find it acceptable behavior to treat each other so shabbily - such as the nurse who took exception to you helping out with mopping the floor, or the one who so viciously attacked you.

i have also been left to handle complete turnovers, in one particularly infuriating instance at an asc when a former rn facility director took a reduction in position to become a staff nurse when she began having children, and began leaving the or with the patient and never returning until it was time to bring the next patient back. no other circulator did that - after taking their patient to pacu and giving report, they returned to the or immediately to help with the turnover and even to give us a break from time to time by finishing up the room, and opening up the next case, which we always had pre-picked and ready to go. after a few incidents of that, i took her aside and asked her to explain to me please just what my expectations should be in doing room turnovers, because i was confused about what was going on. she simply stated that she did not clean up - the techs should handle all that. i looked at her like she was speaking martian, and took her by the hand around the corner to the current director's office and explained the situation to her, and asked for clarification, because this simply was not the "norm" in our place. the director was quite an advocate for us, because she laid it out in no uncertain terms that we were all a team, and there was no such thing as "one person doing all the dirty work" because someone else didn't feel like doing it. it was an expectation as part of her role, and that was that. once we had that situation straightened out, there was no more problem, but it really mystified me that her attitude was that she was too good to clean up the room she had just left, and just because i didn't have rn after my name, i should be left with all the work. it's happened at other places too, but unfortunately, it was not so easily dealt with, and we techs learned to dread working with certain circulators, because we knew we'd be "thrown under the bus " with them every time.

i could go on with that - but it's not necessary to belabor the issue. you've been a cst yourself - i'm sure you know what i mean. and the thing i look forward to is finding nurses who have a scrub background themselves, like former csts, because they know both sides of the job, and almost always make better circulators because of it.

please keep in touch - if you wish, email me privately - i'd like to talk more about this sort of thing with you if you like.

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Feb 13, 2008

I was a tech for about 5 years and became an RN in 2006. Everyone always asked me if I liked being an RN/circulator or did I like scrubbing better. Hard to answer that because to me they are so different...I will say that I'm glad I became an RN for several reasons 1) if my body just can't take the OR environment at some point, I have tons of other options. There aren't too many oppourtunities for advancement for techs in my area, unfortunately . 2) I'm not locked into always doing one aspect of the job. In my OR, nurses scrub frequently, which I love. I also enjoy circulating, so it's nice to have the option to do both 3) the pay is better, at least around here...sure, there are techs that have been doing this a long time and make more than me right now, but they'll reach a certain point and stop. The pay ceiling is much higher for RNs

All that said, I have respect for techs, especially the ones who act professionally and have a great sense of teamwork. Because ultimately, teamwork is the best thing for that patient. :yeah:

gradyrn2b08 · Feb 24, 2008

I was an OR tech for 8 years and i just about to finishan RN program. I love my job as a scrub but I always dreamed of being a nurse. I work at a busy level one trauma center in the inner city and it gets crazy around here at nights. All of the nurses that work nights are wonderful nurses and they really know their jobs yet some of them look down at us lowly techs. Only one of the OR nurses at night can scrub and circulate everything the rest have refused to learn or refused to scrub if the were needed. One night we were slamed and I was left in the room scrubed with no circulator. As we started to close the abdomen and my nurse had not returned, I set the surgeons up with the closing supplies and broke scrub. I keep telling them to wait so we could get a lap count but of course they were in a hurry. Once the belly was closed (all but the skin) I was counting laps and we were missing 2. They had to open back up and there they were behind the liver. Gathered more closing supplies, scrubbed back in, finished the case, moved patient to ICU. RN came back to the room, informed her of what happened after doing instrument, needle, and lap count (all correct) with her. She looked at me and said, They need a scrub in 4 Im going on break. No thank u Kiss my $#%$# nothing. She let me know where I stood in her mind by her actions. Live and learn. Glad I played a role in preventing the patient from getting septic from retained sponges. Time to leave OR behind on to ICU!! Good Rn + Good Tech+ mutual respect= excellant patient care and a good days work.

tnmtnman · Feb 24, 2008

from what i have seen at my hosp anyways is that we have lpns that are scrubs like myself they can pay scrubs alot less than what we are paid so that is usally what they do ,,lpns are becoming less and less

OR-SPEC · Mar 8, 2008

I recently graduated RN school. I have also been a CST for 5 years and served as a clinical coordinator/instructor for a local surgical tech program for several years. Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of respect for my new found profession as a circulator but hands down, CST's have to maintain the more critical focus during the surgery. Circulating is merely a task of paperwork, maintaining patient safety and fetching supplies. It is the tech that is responsible for having everything on his field, acting as the surgeons 3rd and 4th hand, anticipating every single move during the surgery, especially during severely acute bleeding. I have to admit the RN schooling is much more intense, however, the circulator has an easier job, hands down. Oh, and there's also the 80% increase in pay(at least in my region) depending on whether or not you can convince your boss(and they definitely should) to recognize your OR experience. Let the flaming begin!!!

ShariDCST · Mar 8, 2008

i recently graduated rn school. i have also been a cst for 5 years and served as a clinical coordinator/instructor for a local surgical tech program for several years. don't get me wrong, i have a ton of respect for my new found profession as a circulator but hands down, cst's have to maintain the more critical focus during the surgery. circulating is merely a task of paperwork, maintaining patient safety and fetching supplies. it is the tech that is responsible for having everything on his field, acting as the surgeons 3rd and 4th hand, anticipating every single move during the surgery, especially during severely acute bleeding. i have to admit the rn schooling is much more intense, however, the circulator has an easier job, hands down. oh, and there's also the 80% increase in pay(at least in my region) depending on whether or not you can convince your boss(and they definitely should) to recognize your or experience. let the flaming begin!!!

flaming isn't necessary, and i hope nobody takes up the flame thrower on this one. it seems each person has a different perspective of what gets done, who does it, and what is more important, based on their own personal experiences. granted, as a cst myself, i have to take our side to a point - we do have the "hands on - hands in" side of the case to deal with as far as being elbow to elbow with the surgeon and anyone else at the field, and up to our elbows in it. i can hold 4 clamps and 2 retractors at the same time between both hands - done it lots of times. the sterile field, including setting it up and maintaining it is our territory, and our vigilence is needed in keeping it intact. (a good circulator also keeps an eye out for breaks in technique - we can always use a spare pair of eyes!) we are the ones the surgeon is going to take issue with if everything he/she needs, wants or desires is not immediately available before it's asked for. it is our responsibility to find out and maintain references of what's needed for each case, and to make sure it's pulled, opened and/or ready to go. that is my perspective, based on my experiences over the last 14 years or so of practice as a cst.

however, and that's a very big word, the circulator's job is certainly no less important by any stretch of the imagination. it is their license under which we work - right now, but the change is coming where we will be responsible under our own - his/her name is on the dreaded paperwork, and that person has a big responsibility during the case to make sure the patient is properly prepared before coming to the or, to catch any issue that might have been missed in the process, and is taken care of during the immediate preop period, is monitored properly during the case, and that any untoward or unexepected events are handled post haste. paperwork is a necessary evil, and a major time thief. playing "run and fetchit" isn't a major portion of the case - but someone has to do it and i can't hardly break scrub under normal circumstances to run out in the hallway to the supply room and replace an item that got contaminated, added at the last minute or just forgotten. most of the places i have been - not all, mind you - we work as a team. there is none of this "i'm more important than you are because i have rn after my name" or "you are just a circulator and i am more important because i'm doing the actual scrubbing." :nono:

basically - i can't do my job without a good circulator - and i don't know any circulators who can do an entire case themselves without someone to take on the scrub duties. it's got to be team, and each person plays a part in it - who's important and who isn't isn't even an issue - we all have to have each other to make the whole thing work smoothly, and there's at least one patient's life at stake during any procedure - two or more in the case of c-sections for singles or even multiples.

Scrubby · Mar 8, 2008

[i recently graduated RN school. I have also been a CST for 5 years and served as a clinical coordinator/instructor for a local surgical tech program for several years. Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of respect for my new found profession as a circulator but hands down, CST's have to maintain the more critical focus during the surgery. Circulating is merely a task of paperwork, maintaining patient safety and fetching supplies. It is the tech that is responsible for having everything on his field, acting as the surgeons 3rd and 4th hand, anticipating every single move during the surgery, especially during severely acute bleeding. I have to admit the RN schooling is much more intense, however, the circulator has an easier job, hands down. Oh, and there's also the 80% increase in pay(at least in my region) depending on whether or not you can convince your boss(and they definitely should) to recognize your OR experience. Let the flaming begin!!!]

Merely a task of patient safety? :yeah: That comment shows why we are fighting against technicians in Australia. We want university trained nurses who have an appreciation of the important of patient safety during surgery, because of this sort of attitude by people whose role is more task orientated than multiskilled is inappropriate. I'm alarmed that someone who has been an instructor and works in the OR can even say this. You are obviously ignorant of the risk factors patients face when having surgery and the interventions of the scout nurse to prevent post surgical complications and even morbidity. You may be the best instrument nurse in the world but if your scout is no good, then neither are you because your pretty much useless to do anything because your at the table and cannot leave to get an important item. If the scout doesn't ensure that the patient is positioned correctly, kept warm then all your hard work and the surgeons may not lead to a good outcome.

From reading your comments about the scout being the surgeons third and fourth hand, you shouldn't really be assisting and instrument person at the same time. It's not fair on you and the patient because you need to be able to focus on doing ONE job really well. I've had to do it during a shortage (under protest) but it's really not a good idea to do both roles.

OR-SPEC · Mar 8, 2008

I understand that the patient must be kept safe during the intraoperative period and during the entire case, we as circulators must monitor every inch of that OR table. The thing is if you've done your job properly and positioned in accordance w/ current safety protocols utilizing safety straps/armboards/foam pads/warming devices correctly, then you should be able to breathe a little easier once things get going. Otherwise, your not doing things correctly and this job will drive you insane. The CST on the other hand cannot even drop their hands below their waist, cannot itch that persistent ear itch and cannot wipe the snot dripping down their face for the entire duration of that surgery. CST's deserve more credit than they receive and I will always give that credit for their hard work and dedication. Maybe you should pull up a stool under the drape next to the patients legs to make sure they dont fall off the bed while doing your paperwork. Individuals like you make working as a team much harder than it should be.

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Mar 9, 2008

I can do both, scrubbing and circulating, and I personally view scrubbing as somewhat of a "break"..Not saying it's easier really, but you have less responsibility as far as maintaining the room. As a circulator, you'll get held responsible for everything that goes wrong in that room, even if it's not really your fault. You also have more to lose than the tech, license wise.

I pride myself on the fact that I view the patient as my priority, not the paperwork and I've saved the tech's fanny quite a few times because they didn't realize the surgeon needed a piece of equipment, instrumentation or suture and I've gotten it for them without being told.

I'm not flaming anyone. But I don't agree that circulators have an "easier" job by any means. I suppose if you are a lazy circulator or someone that thinks of circuating as getting to sit on your fanny and chart, then I could see why it could be viewed as "easy". But, IMO, if you're doing the job correctly, it's a heck of a balancing act. You're monitoring that field( and I've caught a few breaks in technique, both by techs and docs), helping anesthesia, and yes, getting things for the sterile members of the team, which can be very frustrating if you have one of those "needy" techs.(they ask for stuff they don't need and they neglect to pick or ask for the needed items) The "droppers" also drive me batty-by the end of the case, a good majority of the instruments/sponges are on the floor:bugeyes:

Everyone has a job to do and each job has its own challenges.