Spoiled Surgeons?

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Specializes in OR.

Just out of pure curiosity,what kind of cases get two techs(or scrub nurses) in your OR? I like the OR I'm in now, but it's not unusual to have a surgeon stamp his/her feet because they can't have two scrubs for an inguinal hernia or some other small case. Heck, the places I've scrubbed before, you had one tech for a lap appy and sometimes even a lap chole, if we were short staffed. I even had to scrub a AAA with just me and the doc until the PA showed up. Are our docs just a wee bit spoiled?

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Surgeons are spoiled in general especially the ones fresh out of residency. We never give the surgeons more staff unless it is something very sever or delicate, carotid, thyroid. Lap choles, hernias, most ortho cases always just the scrub. We are adept at doing cases just by are lonsome even some complex bowel cases. Surgeons know this and do not usually make a fuss. Now, I do work PT at another facilty that has Kaiser surgeons. Their Lap Choles consist of surgeon, scrub tech, PA and most of the time a PA student! Talk about spoiled!

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Specializes in Surgery.

Yep I know what you mean..Some of the things they complain about...I know I was scrubbed for a vag. hyst. and the doctor was complaining that he didnt have 3 scrubbs..I have done it before with him with 2 and he did just fine..also some of the little quirks they have..One surgeon the other day was throwing a fit over the stero system because one doctor had one better than him..Sometimes it almost feels like working with little kids..

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

We have two that are spoiled. One has a private hire scrub nurse, so he's not that big of a deal, since she's paid to deal with him. The other thinks his pts. have priority over the others (how do i know this? He said so.), so he can get to his afternoon golf game in time. There's plenty of people that kiss his rear, but i refuse to. I'm not giving him or his pts. special treatment just because he's got a burr in his saddle.

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Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

Just curious, is is common for ANY procedure to have 2 scrubs? I work in a level 1, and there is not ONE procedure that we provide 2 scrubs for. Sometimes we barely have enough staff as it is, which I think has something to dod with it, maybe? Anyway, could you give me an example of some procedures where 2 scrubs would be appropriate? Because we do practically everything, and 2 scrubs is not even an option where I work!!!

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Anyway, could you give me an example of some procedures where 2 scrubs would be appropriate?

A few:

TVH

Incisional ventral hernias

Nephrectomies

Colons

Complicated TAHs

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Wow, I guess every surgeon at my hospital is spoiled. Our staff consists of one nurse and two techs per room, with the exception of cysto and trauma, which are one nurse and tech. It's nice though to have an extra set of hands to help open and run for extras. One tech basically controls the instrument and the other holds retractors, ect. But then we don't have residents or PAs.

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Specializes in OR.

The reason why I asked this is because my manager was ticked because no one would stay later to provide this surgeon 2 scrubs for an inguinal hernia. I am the wrong person to cry to about this because like I said before, at the last OR I worked in, it was myself and an RN on the evening shift. My mouth must have dropped to the floor when she told me it was an inguinal hernia. Big ortho cases, ex laps, AAA's any big case I can see having 2 scrubs(I don't work at a teaching hospital) but on top of that she was only giving people 1/2 hour notice....

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Specializes in NICU, ER, OR.

wow. NO cases at my hospital get 2 scrubs.........

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
but on top of that she was only giving people 1/2 hour notice....

Oh that just ticks me off, we have a charge person that does that (yet knows way ahead of time she'll need more people), then gets peezy when she gets told "no." Sorry, you want me to stay over? You need to give me more notice than 15 minutes, i do have a life outside of work.

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

We typicaly have two scrubs at least assigned to a room, now whether two scrubs are needed for a case is another story. But, i agree, the extra help is very useful.

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We have two scrubs for Total Hips and Knees (this is in addition to a PA, and somehow all hands manage to stay busy).

Sometimes I'd really like to challenge some of the Ortho docs and ask them, "Have ya' ever heard of an Alvarado?" as they don't use them on knees. Seems archaic to use a sandbag taped to the bed (and a person's not-so-spare hand) to hold the leg in flexion. This is 2006. Do they think that OR staff are free$$?

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