Please tell me I am not wrong!

[GMSinCA]

I work at an outpatient surgery center (physician owned). The other day one of the doctors had the nurse feed him during the surgery. She had fruit in her pocket, and would literally lift up his mask and feed him during the procedure. I know this is wrong! I work with this doctor tomorrow, and have prepared myself to say no if he asks me to do the same thing. Again, I know it is wrong I just need a little validation to give me strength tomorrow!

[Mr. & Mrs. RN]

Why the hell would he be eating during a procedure!?! Are you kidding me? There shouldn't even be food in a sterile area. I would say, "I'm sorry, but that is against our facility's policy and/or against AORN standards, and I don't feel comfortable doing that."

[Scrubby]

Well as an OR nurse I wouldn't be giving someone food if they are just doing short day surgery cases and they could eat and drink between patients.

However when I've been scrubbed for looooong procedures and not being able to scrub out i've had my team member feed me and and provide me with water. You can go on about standards all you like but if you deny someone basic human needs then you are placing your team members health at risk as well as the patient. It's a simple fact that if you're dehydrated and have low blood sugar levels then you become fatigued very easily, increasing the potential risk of a sharps injury as well as risk for retaining items.

So yes if the surgeon/nurse has been scrubbed non stop I think you're wrong to deny them food. If you denied me food and water for a long case I'd be extremely annoyed.

If I was a patient undergoing a long procedure I would want my surgeons and the scrub nurse to be working at their best and if that means that food and drink are brought into the OR then that's fine by me.

And as for food being present in the sterile area, please give us OR nurses some credit. We know how to avoid contaminating items, it's one of the things we're best at. We don't splash water everywhere and we're very careful that food is kept away from instruments and other sterile items.

[GMSinCA]

I totally understand if this is an all day case. I get low blood sugar and can understand if a doctor or scrub needs a quick snack. This case was 3-4 hours, and an elective case. Maybe eat a big breakfast before like I do. I doubt the surgeon would be so tolerate if I started snacking during the case. I am not really comfortable keeping baggies of fruit in my scrub jacket!

[jessrene, LPN]

Rediculous, food should not be in an OR. period.

[Mr. & Mrs. RN]

Scrubby, I wouldn't feed you food, I think that you are wrong here. I would be happy to scrub in and relieve you though. Surgeons are also capable of scrubbing out for a few minutes without any adverse effects on the patient. I think that isn't a good enough excuse. If you don't have a relief, then you're employer is at fault for denying you basic human needs.

[Scrubby]

Scrubby, I wouldn't feed you food, I think that you are wrong here. I would be happy to scrub in and relieve you though. Surgeons are also capable of scrubbing out for a few minutes without any adverse effects on the patient. I think that isn't a good enough excuse. If you don't have a relief, then you're employer is at fault for denying you basic human needs.

I would be happy to be relieved and scrub out. Unfortunately, the powers that be really frown upon scrubbing out, especially during laparotomy's (my speciality is general surg) unless you're going to pass out/be sick. I have been on working committees arguing about this very issue and it always ends up with the no scrub out rule.

The powers that be who won't let anyone scrub out doesn't seem to be bothered by the food and drink in the OR. The general policy is 'we never deny anyone food or drink if they are scrubbed all day'. They are absolutely convinced that if another nurse scrubs in for you then an item/instrument is going to be retained.

So given that I'm not allowed to be relieved, I bring in one of those food supplement drinks and get the scout to feed me through a straw. It keeps me going.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I was scrubbed in a 15 hour fem-pop once and this was the off shift..no one available to give a break. Started feeling woozy and the doctor got to that point as well. The circulator got an orange juice from PACU and gave some to us by straw. I've known several doctors who are diabetic and yes, we've fed them candy here and there.

Lesser of two evils-if someone passes out at the field that's not good either. Sometimes we have to use our best judgement.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I think it depends on the situation. If this is happening routinely in short cases, yeah, that's kind of crazy. But in unique situations (in our case, it was a pediatric cardiac case that came in as a trauma, and with it being off shift, there was no relief for the dedicated CTOR staff), it can mean the difference between a staff member passing out at the field or not.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Interesting ... for a diabetic to be eating candy as a routine way to ward off hypoglycemia is not a good idea. That's poor blood glucose management. Don't they know how to manage their diabetes properly? What does that say about their medical knowledge/judgment?

[Tiffany, RN, BSN]

I would not feed anyone during a case. Its too easy to contaminate something. If I was circulating a case that went so long that the surgeon and tech were both about to fall out from fatigue, I think it would be time for everybody to break scrub, have a quick snack and get back in there. A count can be done beforehand to make sure nothing is retained. I'm sorry but there is no excuse for food being in an OR.

[Zana2]

I'm with you on that one Scrubby. Long cases, 5-6-7+ h, give them some water and a sweetie before they collapse on you.