Sacred cows

Specialties Operating Room

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Name some habits that are done in your operating room that are unnecessary.

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this is a carry over from the other thread; counting rays on percutaneous entry. policy demands a full count of sponges on every case. i can see on the initial count but if the wound was not opened larger than a needle.....

that is one that just kills me.

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Specializes in ER/ OR/ PACU and now Occupational Health.

Yeah we have one nurse that makes you count even if the rules say you don't have to that drives me nuts(hello how and the heck can a lap or raytec get stuck in an arthroscopy port hole?). Oh yeah and the same RN the "we have to follow the rules" chick thinks it is ok for her to count my laps and needles by herself by sight if I am busy at the moment she wants to count.

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Specializes in OR, transplants,GYN oncology.

I count on everything now (didn't always), percutaneous or not, because the housekeeping services are lousy at my hospital and I don't trust them not to leave a sponge under a table, which could gradually work its way out & screw up my counts on a subsequent case. (How's that for a run-on sentence!)This has happened...tragic...

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Specializes in OR, transplants,GYN oncology.

Another sacred cow that drives me nuts....circulator wearing a mask during tonsillectomies, myringotomies, laryngoscopies, etc.

Come on, Mikethern, you started this - tell us one that gets under your skin!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
I count on everything now (didn't always), percutaneous or not, because the housekeeping services are lousy at my hospital and I don't trust them not to leave a sponge under a table, which could gradually work its way out & screw up my counts on a subsequent case. (How's that for a run-on sentence!)This has happened...tragic...

Seen it happen, too.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Another sacred cow that drives me nuts....circulator wearing a mask during tonsillectomies, myringotomies, laryngoscopies, etc.

Wouldn't be a good idea to wear one because of the cautery used or laser (usually laser mask, for laryngoscopies)?

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Specializes in ER/ OR/ PACU and now Occupational Health.

I actually asked one of our ENT's why they made us wear our masks during everything (except a BMT) and the others don't. He told me that since we are all in kids faces and don't know what kind of bug they may have (airborne/contact) it's to protect ourselves. Also from blood and fluids getting in and around your mouth. Oh another good one is wearing a mask in the Cysto room. For what reason? I have yet to figure out.... maybe along the same lines as the blood thing....no pee in the mouth!!

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Some of these "silly" things are still good to do because they keep you in the habit of doing it when it DOES matter. Eg, wearing a mask. It's sort of like using the turn signals on your car even if it's 3 AM and you're the only car on the road. Do it EVERY time to keep in the habit, and then you'll never forget when that cop is watching... :-)

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In our O.R. we resolved the conflict of when it was okay to drop the mask during a procedure by requiring ALL masks up at ALL times in the room, case ongoing or not. Droplets remain air-borne 30-45 minutes...plenty of time to turn the room over into another 'more sterile' procedure. And if the doc is raising a plume with that laser or bovie, better be sure that mask is high-filtration to protect YOU against those carcinogens!! And it's not about doing what's right only if you might get caught, rather 'safe practice' for all concerned.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
And it's not about doing what's right only if you might get caught, rather 'safe practice' for all concerned.

:yeahthat:

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I actually asked one of our ENT's why they made us wear our masks during everything (except a BMT) and the others don't. He told me that since we are all in kids faces and don't know what kind of bug they may have (airborne/contact) it's to protect ourselves. Also from blood and fluids getting in and around your mouth. Oh another good one is wearing a mask in the Cysto room. For what reason? I have yet to figure out.... maybe along the same lines as the blood thing....no pee in the mouth!!

Funny story - We have a urologist who has a sense of humor. If he thinks you are not paying attention, he will squirt you with the water from his scope! So, pee in the mouth isn't exactly unheard of. He has also squirted KY down a nurse's scrub shirt (she wears hers a little too low cut for my tastes - but, who am I to judge?)

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