Help asap circulating nurses

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Hi there,

I'm currently a student doing the operating room course. I have an assignment worth 25% of my grade that is an assignment where i must interview a circulating nurse. I did interview an old coworker of mine who has been working in the operating room for awhile. I wrote all my answers to the questions i asked her on a paper i brought.

I've been searching for this paper for 2 days now absolutely everywhere. i'm thinking my husband may have thrown it out by accident thinking it was garbage and the garbage went out yesterday... To make matters worse, the girl i interviewed is currently in Italy for 2 weeks so i can't get a hold of her! I don't have time to find someone new to interview as i'm now working day shift 12 hours the next few days until my assignment is due! If someone can help me answer some questions for me so i can get a better insight and still complete this assignment that would be a lifesaver, i'm freaking out right now and am super desperate to get some help!! These are the questions i had asked:

As a circulating nurse:

1. Describe how you use the Surgical Safety Checklist? Please explain everyone's role when using the Surgical Safety Checklist (i.e circulating nurse, scrub nurse, surgeon and anaesthesia care provider).

2. Describe the relationship the circulating nurse has with the anaesthesia care provider. Please explain the scope of practice of an anaesthesia assistant (AA). How does the role of the AA differ from the role of the circulating nurse?

3. How do you incorporate ORNAC standards into your everyday care?

4. How do you intervene when you see members of the surgical team skip steps or not follow ORNAC standards, consequently putting the patient at risk?

5. Have you ever encountered a situation when the patient experienced respiratory complications or cardiac complications? If yes, how did the surgical team address this situation? Specifically, what was the nurse's role during the emergency? If no, what strategies do you have in place to ensure you are prepared for an emergency situation?

6. When you transfer the patient to the recovery room or the ICU, please explain what role the nurse plays. What information do you share with the recovery room or ICU nurse?

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Why not tell us what you remember from the interview and we can help fill in the gaps.

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The main thing I'm having trouble remembering is the second question about the anesthesia assistant and the 5th one what information or report is given when sending the patient to ICU and what role each nurse plays when sending to icu

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

Moved to nursing student assistance forum.

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Can someone please help me answer this as a circulating nurse in your operating room?

Describe the relationship the circulating nurse has with the anaesthesia care provider. Please explain the scope of practice of an anaesthesia assistant (AA). How does the role of the AA differ from the role of the circulating nurse?

Thank you!!

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AA's are borderline non existent

CRNAs are out there though

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Sorry, yes what about CRNAS then? What is their relationship with the circulating nurse their description and how do their roles differ?

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Sorry, yes what about CRNAS then? What is their relationship with the circulating nurse their description and how do their roles differ?

What is the scope of practice of the RN and the scope of practice of a CRNA? That can help guide you as you work through the way the roles differ.

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Specializes in Adult Critical Care.

The circulating nurse is an RN who has completed an accredited nursing program (diploma, associates, or BSN) and passed the NCLEX-RN.

The CRNA is an experienced ICU RN who has completed either a masters or doctoral degree in nursing anesthesia. In a lot of places, the CRNA puts the patient to sleep and monitors the patient's condition without any oversight from an anesthesiologist at all.

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Specializes in SICU, trauma, neuro.
The main thing I'm having trouble remembering is the second question about the anesthesia assistant and the 5th one what information or report is given when sending the patient to ICU and what role each nurse plays when sending to icu

As an ICU nurse, the CRNA gives me report. Report consists of procedure performed, time in OR, drugs given during the procedure -- including pain meds (need to know when the pt might need more), paralytic (need to know when it will wear off -- until then, we need to make sure the pt is well sedated, know that they can't cough, that it's useless to do a neuro exam...), antibiotics (so we know when next doses should be timed), etc. They tell us their intra-op I&O, including EBL, any abnormal VS/complications, family info.

They call report to my unit, and give updates when they arrive.

I don't typically talk to the RN from the OR -- only when pt is arriving from the PACU, as the PACU RN brings the pt to us.

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