OR Circulator Response Time

[lucyc]

I am from a small facility (16 beds, 1 OR) and we deliver babies. I am wondering about everyone's thoughts about the OR circulator having a response time of 30-45 minutes for a c-section, when mom has failed to progress. My two OR circulators have to alternate call and they both live out of town from the hospital and due to family issues it has become difficult for them to be away from their families everyother week for seven days.

Thanks for your input.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Is there someone else who can rotate call between them? I am sure you have probably already thought of this, but it seems as if there should be more people taking call. Can the manager take call?

30-45 minute response time is standard from my experience. If they are unable to fulfill this requirement, then can you schedule them for the day off when they are on call? It kinda sucks, but if the issue is that they can't be away from their families, perhaps this would be an alternative to meet both the needs of the staff and the needs of the facility.

Are any of the L&D nurses trained in OR technique? If not (and I used to work for a small community hospital in which NONE of the L&D staff were trained for crash sections), perhaps now is the time for your OR NM and the L&D NM to start discussions regarding training. I have worked in many hospitals, and have found that it is much more efficient (not to mention more safe for the patients) if the L&D staff have the capability to do sections. It just makes sense.

Maybe you can bring this idea to your NM. There will be pushback because it will require the L&D staff to take on a new skill set, however they will have that much more training under their belts. Sections are fun to do-quick, easy, and not a whole lot to learn. It really amounts to doing a belly case, not a crani or something totally out of left field.

Let me know what you think!

[lucyc]

That is of great help. Thanks so much. Never really thought about training the L&D staff on circulating c-sections but will definitely present the idea.:)

[SandraCVRN]

30 minute response time in all OR's I have ever worked in and/or been around.

[shodobe]

30 minutes is standard but this is really cutting it close for those crash sections. One place I had a short stint at wanted only a 15 minute response time! We don't do sections in the main OR anymore and leave that entirely up to the L&D staff. I am so happy for that after 15 years of long nights doing these.

[Rntr]

I would think it is safer for the L&D staff to know how to do a section... why not?

The only place I worked that didn't have a 30 min response time was in Morehead City, NC and they had sleep over rooms.... their response time was or is 10 min... I would never do that again.

[solneeshka, BSN, RN]

All of the facilities I've worked at or had clinicals at had the L&D staff work the c-sections, in fact they've all had the rooms for c-sections located in the L&D area, not in the general OR.

[staceyp413]

We (the OR) covers c-sections up in OB. OR has 10 suites.

Call in time is 20 minutes as we staff our night shift with a CNA