How many RN's scrub?

I do both; I think all OR nurses should; in fact, I will go so far as to say that I do not think you are doing your job if you can't or won't scrub--or, you are doing only one-half of it, and being unfair to your co-workers who must pick up the slack.

Check out this long-standing thread for a lively discussion of this subject:

What's up with RNs who refuse to scrub?

Shodobe? Check in, please---

I agree that they should check out the thread you mentioned. It will help and keep us from repeating ourselves. I am just waiting here patiently for my surgeon to tell me if I am going to do a Appy or not! It has been very busy the past few days and I got upset last week at a post I made about something. The response was very negative and didn't answer my question so I deleted this site and had no intention on coming back, but changed my mind and here I am. Mike

Originally posted by shodobe

The response was very negative and didn't answer my question so I deleted this site and had no intention on coming back, but changed my mind and here I am. Mike

What post are you referring to, Mike? I want to check it out.

I've been away awhile Stevierae, which post?. As to the scrub nurse issue, I too feel all RN's should have a knowledge of both scrubbing and circulating. We scrub and circulate but the head nurses dont. Thats cool by me.

Originally posted by carcha

I've been away awhile Stevierae, which post?. As to the scrub nurse issue, I too feel all RN's should have a knowledge of both scrubbing and circulating. We scrub and circulate but the head nurses dont. Thats cool by me.

Carch, I, too, am wondering to which post Shodobe got negative feedback.

But the thread I was referring to was the one entitled "What's Up With RNs Who Refuse To Scrub?" which has been going on for over a year and has many pages of comments--your own comments are on there, as well, I think.

stevierae, the post I was referring to wasn't about scrubbing and such. I posted a question to the CRNA area and got back alot of negative and some good responses. I went off on one person and threw in the towel! I feel much better now and won't do that again because I really did get the answer I was seeking. Besides, you know how I feel about everybody scrubbing. It is a must if you want to be the complete OR nurse. Mike

I think all OR RN's should be required to learn all aspects of the job, and scubbing cases is certainly a vital aspect of the job. The problem at our hospital is that we are small, and have limited staff, and there is often not enough staff to allow the RN to be in the crsub role:(

Whenever possible, we change roles.

Chrislynn,

as a new RN in the OR it is to your advantage to scrub as much as you can--this will make it easier for you to anticipate when you are in the circulating role. When you circulate for a tech you are their immediate supervisor (though many techs would not agree with this), and I don't think you can really be an effective supervisor unless you know the job of the person you are directing.

Where I work we rarely if ever get the chance to scrub. The RN is stuck doing circulation duties and that is it. I am a glorified step and fetch! My duties include only those of the circulator and retreiving items from steile supply that the scrub "forgot" to pull for the case. On average I leave the room 8-10 times intra op for "stuff" needed during the case. I am a RNFA that never gets to scrub let alone scrub. I am so sick of the hospitals in my area. The scrub is treated like royalty and the licensed RN is the gopher. Can anyone tell I am pissed off about how nurses in the OR are treated???

Where I work, RN's rarely get the opportunity to scrub anymore. It is simply more cost effective to have a tech. I really think it makes you a better circulator if you can scrub, and you actually get to see what's going on.

besides, it is soooooo much easier to be scrubbed.

Hey Clark, come to California! I know what you mean. I am so lucky where I work because I can choose to scrub or not. I am the senior, age I guess, on the late shift and can decide who scubs and who circulates. The reason why is we use no Techs! We are a complete, except for our token Tech, RN staff. My director will not hire Techs! We would rather suffer than hire someone who will just tick people off. Now, I do work with techs at another hospital because they do not have the personel to train new RNs so they have to hire Techs. The one thing nice is guess who scrubs them out for breaks and meals? ME! That is because very few RNs can scrub there. Most of the ones that do are in the Heart Room. The main place where I work there is a requirement on hire that you MUST do both, scrub and circulate. This hospital is probably the last one around that still does this. I have been doing this for 27 years, so I learned my scrubbing skills many years ago. I feel sorry for the newbies that come into the OR and never I have the oppurtunity to learn the most essential part of OR nursing. Like I have said before you must be able to both to be the complete OR nurse. Good luck, Mike

Hi All,

WHAT THE???? In Australia, only nurses scrub. In the public system, only RN's scub, and in the private sector some enrolled nurses (I think they are like US practical nurses) but the only technicians I know of are Anaesthetic Techs, slowly taking over the Anaes. Nurse role. Please explain?