What do you think of this......

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

I was walking through the peds holding area to use the rest room, and I heard an OR assistant (not a cna, nurse, tech, just a person who turns over rooms, stocks, etc) explain to a pt and his parents what his surgery would be like, his recovery time, his incision, the dressings that would be used, etc. I dont even know if he was giving correct info, but isnt that beside the point? I think that he should not even be talking to pt's about any procedure whatsoever, or for that matter even have contact with the pts, since this is not even remotely his role. Am I over thinking this? This really rubbed me the wrong way....I said nothing, since I was passing through, it wasnt my pt. What do you guys think? I havent heard him do this before, so there is no pattern here, but it made me, kind of mad, I must say.

[Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN]

No you're not over thinking this, those are things that the surgeon should be talking to the family about preop. The assistant overstepped big time.

Management needs to be aware that this assistant is doing it, and management should also provide clarification on who's place it is to be discussing such things with the pt. or their family.

[1xlntRN]

Hi roomies, I have to say I agree with you, I would take the OR assistant aside and explain in diplomatic way that it is the surgeons responsibility to explain to the patient/family what to expect. If the OR tech gave incorrect information it may cause increased anxiety for the patient and also it is a liabiltly concern. I once had a surgeon take me aside and explain to me that is was HIS responsibility to inform the patient what to expect (I wanted to crawl in a dark hole!) so take it from me I learned the difficult way!

[ewattsjt]

You are not over stepping. "just a person who turns over rooms, stocks, etc" how can they even comprehend if they never see the case, dressed the wound, recovered, etc...

Does this patient care/transporter have a job description? You could bring it to his attention that he had gone beyond his scope of practice. Contact with the patient is a part of his role to comfort and reduce anxiety. Procedure discription etc... is not.

[Charity, RN, APRN]

He may have known this family and have been visiting with the permission of the pre-op nurse. His own family member/child may have gone through this before. Not to make him an authority, naturally. But it may not be as "overstepping" as on first examination.

[elcue]

He may have known this family and have been visiting with the permission of the pre-op nurse. His own family member/child may have gone through this before. Not to make him an authority, naturally. But it may not be as "overstepping" as on first examination.

Still, at work this person's role does not involve this kind of behavior and is out of line. It should be discussed with him and also with the person to whom he directly reports.

[ewattsjt]

He may have known this family and have been visiting with the permission of the pre-op nurse. His own family member/child may have gone through this before. Not to make him an authority, naturally. But it may not be as "overstepping" as on first examination.

That is just trying to make an excuse for him. I will agree that he may really have thought he was helping and he thought that there was nothing wrong with it. That does not however excuse the fact he was outside his scope of practice. It needs to be discussed with him.

[gr8rnpjt, RN]

I think you should not say anything to him unless he does it to your patient. Since it was not your pt he was talking to and you had no connection to the situation, you should stay out until he does it to your patient, then I think it is ok to step in.

[ewattsjt]

I think you should not say anything to him unless he does it to your patient. Since it was not your pt he was talking to and you had no connection to the situation, you should stay out until he does it to your patient, then I think it is ok to step in.

As a patient advocate, I would think you would speak up for them, your patient or not.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

No, I found out later he did not know this family. Even if he was visiting with permission of the pre op nurse, he shouldnt be giving info on the procedure, whether he knows the info or not, because he was at work, and people might not grasp the fact that all he really does is stock and turnover rooms!!!

[ortess1971]

I was always taught that even if a patient asks you directly how things went, is something cancerous etc, that you were just supossed to say "the doctor will discuss that with you" So that's what I do on a professional level-my human mushy side knows that it may be very hard for them to wait and I WANT to tell them. But that would be stepping outside my SOP so I don't.