I need advice...

Babarnurse · May 11, 2006

Hello,

1. We are supposed to, but it never gets done.

2. We count sharps and softs for lap choles (laps, rays, needles, etc)

3. we count sharps and softs for arthoscopies

4. We do the same for all cases, housekeeping cleans the rooms, etc.

5. Yes

6. We give to the field and let the tech give it. They only give local and things like that. If it's anything of any substance, anesthesia gives it.

7. Yes, I don't think that has ever been an issue.

8. No, we are not allowed to wear long sleeve shirts under our scrubs. Our OR personnel can wear scrubs from home, though.

Hope this helps. How do you do things at your OR?

Babarnurse.

MissJoRN, RN · May 12, 2006

1 No

2 We do a full pre-op count for all lap cases... at least most of us do, it's at the discretion of the circulator, not official policy just "suggested" but I've never seen it not done. I know if I hadn't I would have regretted it a few times! Post-op just sharps and sponges, with N/A over the instrument section.

3 Just sharps on knees, sharps and sponges on shoulders

4 It's a quick clean (of course not having a bed to clean helps!) Usually no mopping, unless housekeeping thinks they need to or the circ requests it

5 No, not really. We have seperate storage for sterile manufacturer packed (disposable) items where we store a few non-sterile 1 time use things and seperate storage for instruments or disposables packed in house.

6 The RN always seems to dispense onto the field. Rarely an RN might have a CST helper but I think the RN still always pours her own meds. I do, but then I rarely have a helper. I'm not sure we have a concrete policy.

7 Everyone is supposed to have earrings covered by their hat. Rules don't always seem to apply to everyone, though, do they?

8 Some anesthesia personnel wear short sleeved tshirts under scrubs, occasionally a nursing team member does but it's discouraged. Sleeves may not be longer than the scrub, though.

mcmike55 · May 29, 2006

I need some advice on how you do things in your hospital...
1-do you wipe the room down prior to the first case/day?
2-how do you count lap choles? do u do a pre-inst. count?
3-do you count on arthroscopy's
4-how intensive is your clean up between eye cases?
5-do you store sterile and nonsterile items together?
6-giving meds to thesterile field..do u look at it and allow a tech to poor or give for you or, is this strickly an RN duty...even if the RN is supervising it.
7-are techs allowed to have earrings in and not covered?
8-can they wear long sleeve, home laundered shirts under their scrub top?
Ok, here's my two cents worth.
1. yes usually just horizontal surfaces and the lights. We have house keepers at night that do the entire room.
2. We don't. We are re-instuting instrument counts (long story). Not sure what the P&P will say, but I think we will do counts only if it's booked as a scope, possible open.
3. No. Not instruments, sharps/sponges yes
4. Not much. Spot cleaning, floors at end of day unless a mess. Not sure I totally agree with this, but hey, when in Rome.
5. No
6. The RN obtains the meds, and pours them onto the field, showing the lable and outdate to the tech. Many of our meds are sterile containers, so the tech has the original bottle on the field. When not used right out of the origninal bottle, the container AND syringe are labeled.
7. Not encourages, but allowed. Kept covered, but sometimes they get out.
8. No. Not in the OR. undershirts must be contained inside the scrub tops. That includes turtle necks. Sometimes PACU has sleeves. Most of them wear cover coats/gowns if cold.
Hope that helps. Mike