Specialties PACU
Published Aug 30, 2006
You are reading page 2 of Transport to PACU
RNOTODAY, BSN, RN
1,116 Posts
Whoever's in the room does the turnovers.
Meaning, the circulator and the scrub nurse????:uhoh21:
elcue
164 Posts
Thankyou all for your input. Keep 'em coming! I intend to present all of this, pro and con, to our nursing clinical director. Linda
Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN
12,126 Posts
Circulator, scrub nurses, transporters, housekeepers, whoever is in the room. It's a team effort.
oh, ok marie, I thought you were saying you had NO housekeeping or other ancillary help, etc, that it was just the surgical team in the room that did turnovers!!!! (minus surgeons of course)
We have two surgeons that will pitch in and mop the floor before they go dictate. They are also two of the most respected docs we have, since they pitch in whenever they can.
heartICU
462 Posts
So what does the nurse-to-nurse report include? Just curious. We (meaning anesthesia) take the patient to PACU - the OR nurse doesn't go. They are usually finishing with the instruments, etc.
CuttingEdgeRN
Depends on who your anesthesia provider was! CRNAs usually give an awesome report. Ologists mostly just silently wait on vital signs. My report is more a "nursing" inspired report while anesthesias report is "medical". They tell medications and fluid amt given, what BP and SAT parameters ran..... We (RN's) tell procedure, allergys, relevent medical Hx, urine output, drains, what family is available, any unusual pre-op situations (bruises, loose teeth, rashes...)
Our ologists give a very good report, that pretty much mirrors the circulator's.
I am sure I will probably get flamed for this, but I don't see why reason why the anesthesia provider can't give the complete report. I am sure it would work either way, but to give two reports seems like a duplication of effort.
As long as you have one person able to resuscitate the patient (and by resuscitate, I mean manage an airway, as that is usually what immediate postop arrests are from) then I don't see an issue with using anesthesia plus a transporter to take the patient to PACU. Plus, if the RN stays in the room, and works to turn it over, they can also open the next patient's sterile packs, etc.
That's actually the reason we do it that way, to avoid 'missing' something.
I suppose it would work either way. Guess it doesn't take an RN to steer the stretcher. Seems most anesthesia providers never pay attention to where or even if a drain is placed and usually has to copy the procedure and post op diagnosis from the circulators record . I guess the PACU nurse could also read it from there. They also have no idea where or even if the family is available. We do have PCT's that can open the sterile packs and basics. Makes you wonder why there is even an RN in the OR at all doesn't it?
My argument is always that No, it doesn't take an RN to open sterile packs or steer the stretcher. And those are not the reasons we have RNs in the OR.
But it does take an RN to assess the patient - and family - preoperatively, and the patient in an ongoing manner. And it takes an RN to commmunicate this assessment to the RN in the PACU. There are things about the procedure, such as drains and local; things about the patient, such as preexisting discomforts or concerns; things about the family, especially their expectations and location that are not always passed on by the anesthesiologist, but that most nurses will make a point to communicate.
I appreciate the feedback you have all provided and will continue to collect your comments.
Thanks
Linda