Advise, please

[StudentNPA]

Hello Everyone,

I am one of the lucky ones. I finished school with a high GPA, worked as a nursing assistant in the OR, GOT A JOB full time in the OR and they are willing to train me!!! How lucky am I?? A lot, I know. My question is this: The hospital is a smaller community hospital who is providing me with a hands on orientation for up to a year. We only have a few scrub techs, so all RNs must be able to scrub and circulate. I feel honestly, that only after a few months, I REALLY like circulating and am pretty good at it. I am still not ready to be on my own, but pretty good. As for scrubbing.....I feel like I am lost sometimes. My preceptor, who is great, is telling me I am doing very well. I just am the type of person who likes to master things quickly.

My questions are:

1. If you are a RN who scrubs, how long did it take you to feel "comfortable" in the role?

2. Where would you say I should be after about 20-25 shifts of general surgery scrubbing orientation?

3. Any suggestions about becoming a better scrub?

4. When you scrub, do you ever feel like you are not performing "nursing duties?" The other day, I am ashamed to admit I didn't even know the sex of the patient we were operating on.

Thanks in advance to any experience nurse who is willing to give me advice.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

hello everyone,

1. if you are a rn who scrubs, how long did it take you to feel "comfortable" in the role?

i am much like you in that i feel that i must master something quickly or resort to feeling like a complete failure. it took me about a year of scrubbing at least once a week to feel comfortable scrubbing anything that rolled thru the door.

2. where would you say i should be after about 20-25 shifts of general surgery scrubbing orientation?

i think at this point you should feel confident scrubbing simple open cases like an ex-lap or hernia. you should be fine with lap choles and lap appys. general surgery is great because you basically set up the same table. you might still need some help with adrenalectomies, transplants and big cases like whipples. on really big cases where you require a second back table you may need some guidance, but it sounds like you have an awesome preceptor.

3. any suggestions about becoming a better scrub?

read the pref card. make sure that it is correct. get there 20 minutes early if you are uncertain of the case so that you can have some extra time to set up what you do know, and that will allow you some leeway to learn what you don't know. don't let scrubbing intimidate you. ask the surgeon questions if you are unsure. generally they love to teach and are very open to a nurse who shows an interest in what they do. recognize this golden opportunity for what it is-free education! also, try your best to anticipate what they will ask for next. the way i taught myself to do this is to put myself in their shoes. "hmmm...if i were doing x, then i would need y instrument."

4. when you scrub, do you ever feel like you are not performing "nursing duties?" the other day, i am ashamed to admit i didn't even know the sex of the patient we were operating on.

but you are doing nursing duties! you are in a very important position to help the surgeon get through the surgery with the best possible outcome for the patient...which is our ultimate goal in whatever nursing we do.

thanks in advance to any experience nurse who is willing to give me advice.

keep your head up! sounds like you are doing very well!

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

I feel the opposite... I feel like if I cant scrub, I am not a true blue OR nurse...lol.... scrubbing is like circulating... you just gott a keep doing it until its a repeat.... it takes time.... be happy you can scrub!! i have to beg every week to get a litttle case here and there....