RN's rarely scrub??

Specialties Operating Room

Published

I don't think being a RN in the OR is what I thought it was. I always thought one RN scrubbed, and then there was also another RN that was the circulating nurse. This is not so? Surgical Techs now do the scrubbing? This is true everywhere?

Specializes in none.

yeah, here in south dakota, a CST can circulate legally. in fact the board runner will assign quailifed tech to a room to circulate. some of the techs go way beyond their scope of practice an inject lidocaine!!and the surgeons tell them to do it!!

i dont agree with this at all

yeah, here in south dakota, a CST can circulate legally. in fact the board runner will assign quailifed tech to a room to circulate. some of the techs go way beyond their scope of practice an inject lidocaine!!and the surgeons tell them to do it!!

i dont agree with this at all

They are NUTS and spoiling for jail time.

NO WAY I would inject lidocaine or give meds without a license! NO Daggum way!

Specializes in Surgery.
yeah, here in south dakota, a CST can circulate legally. in fact the board runner will assign quailifed tech to a room to circulate. some of the techs go way beyond their scope of practice an inject lidocaine!!and the surgeons tell them to do it!!

i dont agree with this at all

techs circulating and injecting? what the........!!?

i have yet to meet a TECH that circulates!

a TECH injecting??!!what the hell is going on there!

if YOU ever see that happen again, YOU need to report that scrub, and the RN that lets that TECH inject medication!!

that RN could be in big trouble! have you ever had a JCAHO inspection there before?!

To recap,

It IS legal for Certified Surgical Technologist to circulate in a handful of states.

It IS NOT legal for them to inject meds.

Even in the states where CSTs circulating is legal, you probably never see it because of the individual hospital policy.

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

It IS legal for Certified Surgical Technologist to circulate in a handful of states.

It IS NOT legal for them to inject meds.

Even in the states where CSTs circulating is legal, you probably never see it because of the individual hospital policy.

Considering what all our circulating RNs do where i work, i don't see how places can have a tech circulate, since quite a few of the tasks the RN does are not within a tech's scope of practice for that state. I'm just picturing a lot of "where's the RN, ______ needs done."

Specializes in none.
Considering what all our circulating RNs do where i work, i don't see how places can have a tech circulate, since quite a few of the tasks the RN does are not within a tech's scope of practice for that state. I'm just picturing a lot of "where's the RN, ______ needs done."

from what i can see, our charting is all on the computer. lets be honest the computer still takes longer to chart. the RN does all that while us techs get all the supplies for the sterile team. there are some days that im glad im circulating and not scrubbing. both have their good points

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
from what i can see, our charting is all on the computer. lets be honest the computer still takes longer to chart. the RN does all that while us techs get all the supplies for the sterile team. there are some days that im glad im circulating and not scrubbing. both have their good points

And both have their very important roles, which is care of the pt.

Since computer charting does take more time, i feel that time is taken away from the pt. That never has sat right with me.

Specializes in ICU, OB.

I agree, the patient comes first.

I work in the peripheral vascular wing, and we switched to all computerized charting about a year ago. Needless to say, it was a mess!

I admit, I am not the most computer literate person!lol! I had such a hard time adapting to this. Most of the time, our cases were finished before my charting was done. To this day I'm still struggling to adapt!lol! You have a good point though. This new way of charting has changed things so much, that I stare at a computer screen more than I tend to my patient.

There are a few techs here that I don't trust as far as I can throw them, let alone circulate. Most of them are pretty good though.

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There are a few techs here that I don't trust as far as I can throw them, let alone circulate. Most of them are pretty good though.

I hear ya.

There are a few techs (and nurse and surgeons and gas folk) I wouldn't let in on a nail clipping of my beloved cat.

Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
This new way of charting has changed things so much, that I stare at a computer screen more than I tend to my patient.

I hear this a lot at work. Funny how when someone says this to the supervisor, she changes the subject :rolleyes:

is it really like this in surgery?

is it really like this in surgery?

What do you mean?

For the most part people are professional. Theya re theri for the patient and act the part. The training kicks in and you carry out your role to the best of your ability.

Of course you do have to have thick skin as things CAN go south fast and tempers can flare up. Decent people know to apologize if they said something off-kilter doing a stressful moment.

Then you have those people (doctors, nurses and techs) with no people skills who spoil the teamwork aspect of a room.

Verbal/mental abuse is never warranted, even in the OR. As a professional, I won't stand for it.

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