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Discussion

Attention or nurses/staff!!

I've worked in surgery for 4 years and the unspeakable is happening:

Let me break it down for you:

At the facility where I work, we use PA's, RNFA's or SA's (basically surgical technologists with additional training) to assist our docs during procedures. Lately staffing has been less than adequate.. and our charge nurse allowed one of our OR aides (YES, you heard me correctly. The guy who sweeps our floors with no credentials let alone medical training or trained in the use of sterile technique--- scrubbed in holding a retractor for an orthopedic surgeon) to assist in a total joint procedure today!!

I was not the circulating nurse in the room, but I told that nurse I would refuse to allow the procedure to continue. I'm still scratching my head as to why the surgeon would allow this to go on, too!

The charge nurse justifies her decision by saying that the aide "is almost in medical school."

SERIOUSLY??? This has legal issues crawling all over it! Am I the only one who sees it?

I told her "tomorrow I'll be intubating patients because I'm doing my pre reqs for anesthesia program so I'm qualified." (

I've been searching AORN and similar sites to try to find something in writing to support my view because my next step to report them to our compliance committeee because this is seriously a patient safety concern!! Does anyone have any thoughts, articles, input on the situation? I need help.

Thank You

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    • Admin

    Is the aide in any type of school? My facility offers a position for surg tech students where they are glorified aides who are permitted to scrub in and hold retractors (absolutely nothing more)- great resource to have when we need it.

    However, this situation needs to be brought to the attention of the unit manager as it is completely unauthorized. It isn't safe to have this person doing so without any kind of training or official job capacity to do it. Not enough staff? Can't start the case. The end.

  • Quote
    Is the aide in any type of school? My facility offers a position for surg tech students where they are glorified aides who are permitted to scrub in and hold retractors (absolutely nothing more)- great resource to have when we need it.

    However, this situation needs to be brought to the attention of the unit manager as it is completely unauthorized. It isn't safe to have this person doing so without any kind of training or official job capacity to do it. Not enough staff? Can't start the case. The end.

    We have aids scrub in and hold retractors occasionally on some of our ortho cases. That's all hey can do. They can't use auction, they can't cut suture, then can just stand there and hold retractors. We do the same thing with nurses sometimes that have zero scrub experience. It's like OJT.

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    • Author

    I couldn't agree more! And to answer your question the aide is eventually going to med school. But undergrad wasnt even related to medicine, mursing, etc.Do you work at a teaching hospital? Because I don't.

    This is the first time something like this has happened.

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    • Author

    I learned how to scrub as an RN before circulating so I get people have to start somewhere... however this person has ZERO credentials and has never stepped foot in the OR when we're in a sterile environment (they are in during turnovers cleaning- NEVER in the room even when we're opening)

    I just worry about it being a serious liability issue.

    A few months ago, we all were lectured on not letting med students touch patients in the OR, but they allow this??

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    Geez, they'll start having the dietary staff start helping soon .

    Good gawd, what is this world coming to.

    I'm afraid to be a patient with the cheap *** way things are beingg run.....

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