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Discussion

LPN in the OR?

What job can LPN's do in the OR, and is there special training you have to do?

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    • Admin

    Within the OR itself, they may function in the role of surgical technologist (would require on the job training) or maybe anesthesia technician (responsible for setting up the anesthesia machine, assisting with connecting monitors, other non-invasive actions). Many states are requiring by law that the circulating nurse be an RN. In preop, I have seen LPNs be the designated IV starter.

    What most affects the role of the LPN in perioperative nursing is both scope of practice and facility policy.

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    It depends on where you live. Here in Ontario, RPN's usually are the scrub nurses (additional training), and sometimes the 2nd circulating nurse alongside an RN. It would depend on where you live, I'm sure there is someone here from your area that can provide you with some insight.

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    In Alberta, the LPN functions as an OR Technician. It is a specialty course taken post graduation. You learn the skills to be the scrub or the Circulator. The law in Canada only requires one RN to be present in theatre.

    Anesthesia equipment prep is always the responsible of the doctor who will be using it. The LPN/ORT helps prepare the patient for administration. Usually the gas man starts the IV

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    • Author

    Thanks so much I have learned that in Arkansas, LPNs can train to be scrub techs and it is on site training!

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    • Experts

    When I attended an LPN-to-RN completion program in Oklahoma, one of my classmates was an LPN who had been working as a scrub technician in the OR at a local acute care hospital. And when I completed clinical rotations as a student in a PN/VN program in southern CA, I saw a couple of LVNs employed as scrub techs at Kaiser Hospital.

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    Here in La Crosse WI one of the two hospitals will hire LPNs to work as a surgical techs, they scrub in or assist with circulating duties. I've applied for a ST position a few times (applied again today actually), the only certs/licenses required is cert. surg. tech or LPN and CPR/BLS cert.

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