Paging OR team

[OR nurse nut]

This is my first post, but I wanted to get some feedback from nurses in other parts of the country on something.

As the circulating nurse, in our facility I have to "find" my CRNA when I roll the patient in the room. (yes, it's my responsibility, with no help from anyone). Page the doctor's assistant out of their "lounge" and then page the doctor to tell him we are ready for him. Is this as Assanine as it seems to me?

This isn't the only hospital I've worked in, but here it's the norm. I'm perplexed at this stupidity???

[granny7]

While I have worked in just 2 OR's, in each case it was the responsibility of both the CRNA and the RN to transport the patient to the surgical suite. After all, we are all part of the surgical team.

Paula

Believe it or not...I have just been asked by the OR manager to sit on a team with the Anes. MDs to combat this very problem. I have worked in 2 other ORs and this one is the only one where we have to play hide and seek with the CRNA's.

[MissJoRN, RN]

Believe it or not...I have just been asked by the OR manager to sit on a team with the Anes. MDs to combat this very problem. I have worked in 2 other ORs and this one is the only one where we have to play hide and seek with the CRNA's.

This might sound argumentative and I'm sorry, I don't mean it to be but my OR atmosphere has been changing lately with regards to the anesth. dept so I'm a bit sensitive to these things but...

If the problem is finding your CRNAs (I'm assuming that your CRNAs run cases and 'ologists supervise??) Maybe some of the CRNAs should be included on that team, too? Are there specific reasons that they're getting lost between cases? Not getting adequate breaks, needing to discuss care plans, been "trained" to expect a nursing or housekeeping delay, etc? Maybe just being lazy, want to catch up on football scores, talk with other dept members? Either way I hate to see the 'ologists determining the problem for them or having it be the topic of debate in their dept mtngs while the OR continues to debate it in theirs. An "us against them" argument inside of an "us against them" argument.

Know what I mean? I hope that sounds as much as a friendly-professional suggestion as it was meant to be!

[amnesia]

I know that all of our anesthesia staff travels with their patient to the OR after the have been premedicated and then they also travel with pt. from OR to PACU after surgery.

[mcmike55]

I don's know, somedays, trying to get everyone going the same direction is trying the herd cats!!!

We have a small OR, only 3 rooms, no CRNA'S only docs. On the norm, we have few problems. Usually, the RN, often alone, takes the pt to the room. We get there, and voice page anes. We have an overhead, OR only system.

Usually, they are grabbing a cup of coffee, or seeing the next pt. Sometimes, surfing the web.

Before we go back, we always know where anes. is, and where the surgeon is. They don't have to be right there, but they have to be close. None of this "I can see the hospital from here" stuff. We tell one surgeon that he has a picture of the hospital on his dash board so he can truely say that! :chuckle

Our biggest problem is the OB/GYN guys. Because of their job, they are always vanishing to do a delivery, or something. A couple of our general surgeons also do a lot of endoscopy procedures, this often creates problems.

They alway schedule scopes during their OR days!!

Usually by the time I get to the room, page anes.,,,,the surgeon is not too far behind, often just voice paging him in surgery is enough.

My problem is the techs, are sometimes not too far ahead, and end up behind setting up. I try to give them a head start, but it does not always happen.

Mike

[drmrnfla]

Does anyone page the Circulating and Scrub Nurse in the morning and get them out of bed to be to work on time ?? Didn't think so. I make that point at work all the time when a surgeon or anesthesia is late for their first case. We are at work on time, have the room set up and either counted or ready to count when patient is brought to the room. I agree with previous comments regarding the surgeon/anesthesia have the start times for the first case and should not have to be paged !!! Just my two cents ....... David.