Do I need a Stethoscope????

[NoCrumping]

Do or nurses need stethoscopes on a regular basis? I know it seems like an odd question, but I really dont know.....:imbar

Its a new or training program, teching to scrub and circulate......I just accepted the position this week...

I have a neonatal one, as I did only NICU nsg, and want to know if I need to be investing in a good one, or not.

Thanks in advance guys!!!

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

Marie,

Hope that you don't take my post as being curt, but if you notice that all of us "old" RNs in the OR do not ever use a stethescope there. It is a physician's responsibility to make sure that everything is done before the patient leaves the pre-op area, too late when they get to the room. Every facility that I have ever worked at, would not permit the patient to even be taken back until the update has also been taken care of. Too many what if's have happened in the past. And then the surgeon tries to pass it off on to the staff. Save your skin and neck, and don't do it.

Curt, no, but quite honestly, and not to sound like i'm some know-it-all, you're not informing me of anything that i'm not already aware of. If i don't know the policy and procedure for my dept. no matter what my job title, i should even be in there, or even in healthcare for that matter.

[suzanne4, RN]

It's not done IN the room, it is done outside of the room (at the holding area). Again, we're not violating our policy or JCAHO.

The holding area should have stethescopes there for that reason. At quite a few facilities now, the OR nurse doesn't even come to the pre-op area to get their patient, there are specific nurses that do the interviewing and bring the patient back, supposedly to limit change over time, I do not like it but I see it being done more and more. Only ruling is that an RN has to interview the patient, doesn't specify that it it s the one in the room.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

During flu season, it's pretty much whoever's available to get the pt. We're down by 1/3 on staffing.