do you prefer long or short surgeries?

linda2097 · Dec 19, 2009

Long cases because turnovers are the most hectic part of circulating.

ajaxgirl · Dec 19, 2009

Long cases because turnovers are the most hectic part of circulating.

I agree with you.

I never felt this way before but the place I work does 16/cases a shift. I am exhausted.

linda2097 · Dec 19, 2009

I agree with you.
I never felt this way before but the place I work does 16/cases a shift. I am exhausted.

Let me guess. Myringotomies or Phacos?

$fracturenurse$ · Dec 20, 2009

I prefer long cases. We have a surgeon who does shoulder scopes all day long and at the end of the day I am exhausted! One long case is much better! Turnovers and the rush-rush philosophy wears you out!

ajaxgirl · Dec 20, 2009

Let me guess. Myringotomies or Phacos?

phacos

how the heck did you know?

I am hired in a eye OR and I am EXHAUSTED.

I thought I would love the low stress aspect. Now I am doubting this.

linda2097 · Dec 20, 2009

phacos
how the heck did you know?

I've been around the block.

The good news is that if you do the same exact surgery all the time, eventually it will become easy. You prepare the drugs for all the patients at the same time at the beginning of the day, right? Also, when I did phacos, we used 2 different O.R. suites and 2 teams. The surgeon went back and forth to each room and knocked out the cases. This gave the staff more time to get each patient ready.

ajaxgirl · Dec 20, 2009

I've been around the block.
The good news is that if you do the same exact surgery all the time, eventually it will become easy. You prepare the drugs for all the patients at the same time at the beginning of the day, right? Also, when I did phacos, we used 2 different O.R. suites and 2 teams. The surgeon went back and forth to each room and knocked out the cases. This gave the staff more time to get each patient ready.

No we dont use 2 rooms or 2 teams.

Each surgeon has one room, the other day we did 18 but 16 seems average for 8 hours. There is one scrub and one circulator.

It's crazy.

MamaCheese · Dec 20, 2009

Short surgeries for me. I like the constant motion and speed of the cases and turnovers. Cataracts get boring though so I'd rather do them just 2 or 3 days a week and mix it up with some ortho or general. The perfect balance is a room with 6 or 8 shorter surgeries. Cannot stand very long cases where there is not much to do after the set up. I get far too bored.

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Dec 21, 2009

When I was a tech, short cases. Now that I'm a nurse, long cases. Those I&Ds in particular can be a pain what with all the stupid charting and paperwork.

Scrubby · Dec 21, 2009

I prefer longer cases as well because it's way too hectic.

And yes I've also done eye lists and they are just way too chaotic for me.

lockheart678 · Dec 23, 2009

I usually prefer long cases because I do more of the big, long surgeries, so that is what I am better at. Occasionally I like getting a day where I'm doing a bunch of short cases instead though so I can mix it up and not get bored doing the same thing all the time.