OR set-up and generators

Published

Specializes in Working in the Health and Life Sciences field.

Do any nurses here feel that OR set-up time is a huge inconvenience? I've heard from several nurses in the OR that setting up for procedures, specifically ones that require advanced energy, can be a drag. Is that true? Are the generators that get brought in to the OR too big or hard to maneuver? Would having a generator that is small, compact, had multiple types of energy on it, etc. be noticeably beneficial? 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Department.

Curious exactly what you mean?

What kind of generators are you talking about? What kind of procedures require "generators".

There are specific rules(laws) in place to prevent machinery being too big to handle.

Just out of further curiosity why are you posting this in the UK forum? OR's are not OR's in the UK. They are called theatres.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Working in the Health and Life Sciences field.

Hi Grumpy,

Forgot about the theater vs OR differences, I'm an American so it slipped my mind. 

For generators I mean like the boxes that something like LigaSure handpieces would connect to in order to get advanced bipolar or monopolar energy for procedures. 

I've heard from others that set-up in general in theaters can be somewhat annoying and time consuming, was wondering if generators had anything to do with it or if the UK vs USA differences had anything to do with it either - hence my posting in here. 

 

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Emergency Department.

Thank you for clarifying.

Can't give up to date information as I have not been in a theatre (except as a patient) for a long time. When I was there I didn't notice any big machinery, everything was on wheeled trolleys if it was required. UK has Health and Safety laws about movement and lifting etc. so any machinery has to be easily mobile.

Just as an afterthought, remember that our power outlets and plugs are different, they are 240 volts and are rated at 13 Amps. So would we need larger machinery, or even generators?

Hopefully someone with more recent knowledge will get back to you.

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, ID, Hepatology, Occy Health.
Question Guy22 said:

Do any nurses here feel that OR set-up time is a huge inconvenience? I've heard from several nurses in the OR that setting up for procedures, specifically ones that require advanced energy, can be a drag. Is that true? Are the generators that get brought in to the OR too big or hard to maneuver? Would having a generator that is small, compact, had multiple types of energy on it, etc. be noticeably beneficial? 

No recent theatre experience here either, but if you're asking about the UK, you should bear in mind that the UK has this sepcificity called the ODA (Operating Department Assistant) who is a health care professional trained for 2 years who is NOT a nurse but is a qualified professional, albeit only qualified to work in theatre (or the OR as you'd call it).  They do some but not all of what the theatre nurses can do, they may assist the anaesthetist, and it's largely the ODA that gets alot of the donkey work that you describe (the setting up etc.) 

1
Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion