Learning the Surgical Instruments

ShariDCST · Feb 8, 2008

so far this is the best resource, or at least best free resource i've found for learning the surgical instruments. anyone else have any others? we have a new student in our or so looking for good learning options.
http://www.surgical-instrument-pictures.com/
jim

that looks like a great resource. i'd be curious to know what kind of new student you have with you? if this is an st student, he/she should already have a text reference for instrument identification. one thing i found very helpful was to spend a day or two in the spd/instrument processing department (whatever you call it in your facility) working with the people there assembling trays and going through the instrument lists that go with the pans. if there is time for that, it's very helpful.

there is a flip-book reference also available for identifying instruments. ask your student if purchasing something like that would be an option. amazon has this text for as low as $11 brand new and still wrapped in plastic. look at the list of new/used offerings and it should be the first one on the list. the url is

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/072164211x/ref=dp_olp_2/103-2546732-7621416?ie=utf8&qid=1202508373&sr=8-5

good luck with orienting the newbie! it can be a lot of fun. i've done it and always managed to have a good time and teach a lot at the same time.

ShariDCST · Feb 8, 2008

so far this is the best resource, or at least best free resource i've found for learning the surgical instruments. anyone else have any others? we have a new student in our or so looking for good learning options.
http://www.surgical-instrument-pictures.com/
jim

that looks like a great resource. i'd be curious to know what kind of new student you have with you? if this is an st student, he/she should already have a text reference for instrument identification. one thing i found very helpful was to spend a day or two in the spd/instrument processing department (whatever you call it in your facility) working with the people there assembling trays and going through the instrument lists that go with the pans. if there is time for that, it's very helpful.

there is a flip-book reference also available for identifying instruments. ask your student if purchasing something like that would be an option. amazon has this text for as low as $11 brand new and still wrapped in plastic. look at the list of new/used offerings and it should be the first one on the list. the url is

http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/072164211x/ref=dp_olp_2/103-2546732-7621416?ie=utf8&qid=1202508373&sr=8-5

good luck with orienting the newbie! it can be a lot of fun. i've done it and always managed to have a good time and teach a lot at the same time.

also try and find the person who orders the surgical instruments and see if they have catalogs with pictures and/or charts/posters from the vendors to use as reference. i've seen them before and they are pretty nice. then there's the person or persons in charge of orienting new instrument processing people to the instruments in the sets - they need to know them too and they might have something useful for you as well. you never know who's going to have just what you're looking for!

ewattsjt · Feb 9, 2008

yes, if it is a surgical technology student, their core curriculum should require them to have at least one instrument guide. “surgical technology for the surgical technologist”, is also in the core curriculum and has pictures of many instruments as well as what instruments are commonly used in certain sets.

sandiegojames · Feb 9, 2008

Thank you Shari great suggestions, no the surgical techs usually come with good training from their school, this is more for the RNs that come to the OR without surgical experience.

Thanks again

jim

ShariDCST · Feb 9, 2008

thank you shari great suggestions, no the surgical techs usually come with good training from their school, this is more for the rns that come to the or without surgical experience.
thanks again
jim

ok - here's an idea for you. since i don't know if you are the individual in charge of clinical education for the department or not, i will assume that you are not and word this that way.

it might be time to go to this person and propose that some of the budget set aside for clincal education for orienting new rns to the or be spent on acquiring some good reference books. perhaps one or two of the texts from the surgical technology education program or programs in the area could help you out - or use what ast approves for their curriculum which you can purchase directly from their website. since tech students are all about surgery and this is their sole focus, their reference books should be more than adequate. if you have a cst there who still has books from their recent program, perhaps a loan or donation could be arranged, or even purchase them outright from the tech if they want to part with them? :twocents:

also check out amazon.com - they have millions of books, and almost always list used and even other new sources for the same books for a fraction of their "new" price. all you have to do is tell it what kind of book you're looking for, and it should come up with some good options. :twocents:

just a thought - i donated some of my books to a former employer to use to orient rns to the or, and it worked out quite nicely. if i think of anything else, i'll throw it in later - but that was the thought for today!

shari

ShariDCST · Feb 9, 2008

thank you shari great suggestions, no the surgical techs usually come with good training from their school, this is more for the rns that come to the or without surgical experience.
thanks again
jim

:twocents: ok - i actually just thought of another possibility! some enterprising cst who's looking for a possible source of ce credits might be able to use this situation to profit from it in this way, and benefit the rest of the department at the same time.

with a good digital camera, and some good word processing software, it wouldn't be too difficult to take detailed photos of your own sets that are used in your institution - since they can vary somewhat from place to place - and use them to produce your own illustrated guide to the instruments, along with some really good closeup shots of the ends/jaws/working parts that can also be found online, especially in manufacturers/vendors websites.

i think this would fall under the category of inservice production/participation for the cst who chooses to undertake such an endeavor, and they could do a basic presentation to the new rns and satisfy that requirement easily. there are a couple of minimun requirements that should be easily met by doing this, and could provide them with several ce credits to satisfy their needs towards recertification.

shari

nightmare, RN · Feb 9, 2008

Back when I was a student,quite a while ago,we had to wash up the instruments after ops.I don't know if this is still done,but after washing up 20-30 spencer wells and saying the name as you did it you quickly learned the names of each instrument and what it was for.

ShariDCST · Feb 9, 2008

back when i was a student,quite a while ago,we had to wash up the instruments after ops.i don't know if this is still done,but after washing up 20-30 spencer wells and saying the name as you did it you quickly learned the names of each instrument and what it was for.

that's pretty much been taken over in most places of any size by decontam departments, and sterile processing departments (spd). i don't think techs in most institutions have to, have time to, or should be, handwashing instruments anymore. i have worked in a couple in recent years - very very small asc's - where we were the decontam, sterile processing, housekeeping, inventory, etc etc etc, in addition to pulling and scrubbing all the cases! but that's not the norm - i'm sure it's more the exception to the rule now. the others we put dirty instruments back inside the case carts, shut them and sent them down to decontam in the dirty elevator to be processed, and didn't have to handle them any longer.

but you're right - repetition, no matter what form it takes is the best teacher!

ewattsjt · Feb 10, 2008

great ideas!!! here is a link to some products for education sold through the ast (need adobe viewer) http://www.ast.org/pdf/oct07_store_spread.pdf here is a link with a search of amazon for surgical instruments http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b/105-3222871-5785235?url=search-alias%3dstripbooks&field-keywords=surgical+instruments

sandiegojames · Mar 23, 2008

That's a good list, the ancient surgical instrument book would be interesting. I saw the Pompei exhibit last week at the natural history museum and they had some surgical insturments from back then, actually didn't look too much different than what we use now.

ShariDCST · Mar 24, 2008

that's a good list, the ancient surgical instrument book would be interesting. i saw the pompei exhibit last week at the natural history museum and they had some surgical insturments from back then, actually didn't look too much different than what we use now.

i have seen that exhibit in the past - but it's been a while. it is fascinating to see how many things have not changed over the last few millenia, isn't it?

for those who are in or near chicago (we try to go at least yearly, being only about a 4 hour drive from there) there is a very unique and interesting museum, the international museum of surgical science. my husband and i visited there a couple of years ago, and it was simply awesome. it's a pretty small place, and not "obvious" to passers-by, unless you're looking for it. their displays and exhibits are outstanding, and they have a website, here - http://www.imss.org/. :up: i highly recommend it for anyone with even a passing interest in surgery, it's history, growth and development over the centuries. :yeah: i had a ball, and spent several hours there going through the whole place. they have very interesting exhibits of old equipment, instrumentation, and all forms of media, including art work. for instance, their upcoming exhibits include -

the museum is pleased to announce two more upcoming exhibits-plastic surgery: form and function and diabetes: a global epidemic and you.

the museum's newest exhibit, beyond broken bones, tells the whole story of orthopedics and prosthetics from ancient egypt to the present day.

the museum proudly presents warsong: iliad cenotaphs, an exhibition of sculptures by jonathan gabel, and marked, a mixed-media installation by joseph kohnke, both on view through april 18, 2008.