LPN's in the OR

Specialties Operating Room

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Hi there,

Please excuse my lack of knowledge. For those of you who don't know me which should be almost everyone, I have been working in EMS for the last few years so my nursing knowledge is honestly non-existent.

I would like to apply for my LPN (Im in Ab, Canada) this fall. I came accross this post and was curious as to whether or not LPNs can actually work in the OR? if they can what are usually their duties?

I would like to specialize in emerg/ a floor that I can use my current knowledge base and skills. As said before tho, I know nothing so its going to be a long set of obstacles I have to get over but I'm more than willing to work my butt off to get there.

Well now my question is what is the difference between a scrub nurse and being an OR tech?

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Pay rate.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Well now my question is what is the difference between a scrub nurse and being an OR tech?

Where i work, the techs do not work with any medications. But that's a hospital policy.

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“well now my question is what is the difference between a scrub nurse and being an or tech?”

this is one that will vary from country to country, state to state and facility to facility. at the facility where i work; the difference is a hospital policy that states only "nurses" are allowed to dispense meds. the pay for a cst is slightly higher than a lpn or st. the job descriptions are used synonymously. they are literally the same except you change cst, st or lpn.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Pay for an OR LPN is higher than a CST or ST in my area.

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Specializes in Cardiac Telemetry, Emergency, SAFE.
Pay for an OR LPN is higher than a CST or ST in my area.

Thats interesing, at my place of employment. LPN's can work in the OR ONLY if they go to Tech school. No OJT here!! Also, they are not used at all for their nursing abilities, they only scrub and are paid the same as scrubs (although they can keep their LPN title). Actually, the starting Surg Tech pay is higher than LPN pay (for LPN's that practice elsewhere in the hospital).

:monkeydance:

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.

Also, they are not used at all for their nursing abilities, they only scrub and are paid the same as scrubs (although they can keep their LPN title).

I know it's to each their own, but i could not imagine putting what i learned in nursing school on a backburner.

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Specializes in geriatrics, operating room, Med-surg.

Hi there, I would like to add to this thread that I am an LPN in Eastern Canada, but I came from Ontario where there are RPN/LPN perioperative courses. You are expected to have experience as an RPN for at least a year. I have been an RPN scrub nurse for almost 8 years in Ontario. Check out the Kingston General Hospital site and look for RPN OR tech job description.

I loved my job. There were the occasional nasty surgeons but there were nasty nurses too. There were also great surgeons who saw you and treated you as a respected part of the team.

I have experience in ortho, gyne, neuro, general (of course), ENT, plastics, urology, vascular ( AAA's too) and a little thoracics while the specialty was at our hospital. There are RPN scrub nurses that are working in cardiac in Kingston.

Algonquin College in Ottawa has a program, George Brown College in the Toronto area has a really good program.

Unfortuately for me I moved with my husband to a place that is not ready to embrace the change in scope of practice for LPN's so I am not working in the O.R. right now but I am fighting the good fight to change that. Wish me luck, and good luck to you . You will love the OR

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Specializes in geriatrics, operating room, Med-surg.

I have been told that there used to be OR techs that were qualified to do only that and were not nurses and did not handle meds. But things have been changing alot through the years where there are now LPN operating room nurses that do the same job as the RN OR nurse.

I have heard of one case where an LPN was observing and operation in her training and the OR tech was not allowed to count or handle meds. They set up for surgery and 2 RN's did all the counting.

As an LPN/RPN scrub nurse you ARE the scrub nurse. There is one circulating nurse and one Scrub nurse. You are it.

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