tiny1

I think all of us do it because we love it. Like I have said, we are a team. Not one RN, LPN or ORT could do it by themselves. I think we are all qualified in the field or we would not be in these positions. I am just happy that I do what I do. I am greatful for the experience . Now , I speak from experience when I say this. I have learned from RN's, LPN's and ORT's in the past fifteen years. I learn everyday. I do not care about initials behind a name, if I see something done , I ask questions and learn , regardless of their position. I have worked with good RN's, LPN's , CNA's and ORT's and I have learned from them. I think we can all agree, regardless of your position, a seasoned nurse or ORT can teach us things that we did not get in our education. When I am in doubt or question something, I turn to my coworker who I feel is the most qualified to answer my question regardless of the initial behind the name.

I agree with you. We should all work as a team to do the best for our patients without any regard to the initials behind the name. All of us have worked hard to do the best job that we can do. I would love to go back and get my first assist but working in a rural hospital with minimal staff requires me to take call 15 to 20 days a month and with my schedule, it is impossible. It is strange that every location is different when it comes to their hiring practies for surgery. With the economy like it is, who knows what the future will bring any of us.

Like I said, it depends on the facility and their needs and requirements. I agree, most facilities want to get as much as possible for the position you have regardless of the initials following your name. It has become more of how much they can get for less money.

I am a LPN that works as a scrub nurse. In our hospital, we utilize LPN's to scrub cases. RN's circulate. I do think any RN who works in the OR needs to learn how to scrub a case. . We help the RN by preping the patient or inserting a catheter, whatever is needed to get the case started as quickly as possible.As healthcare reform continues, the trend to use scrub techs and LPNs in the OR will continue to grow.Our small hospital will not use RN's or surgery techs as scrubs. They prefer an LPN that can scrub , catheterize, give meds and provide post op care after the patient leaves the recovery room. I do agree that all RN's should have the ability to scrub because it makes a better circulator. We should start looking at the whole picture instead of the letters at the end of one's name. When it is all said and done, the surgeon standing next to you wants someone who anticipates his needs, he could care less what the initials are that follows your name. We are a team and we could not give our patients the care they need and deserve without the house keepers RNs, LPNs, STs, central sterilization and the surgeons. None of us should snub our noses because the hospitals are hiring someone with a different initial to do this job. It all comes down to the fact that each and every one of us are qualified to do it . It is the facilities choice to choose what is most cost effective and profitable for them. I work in a small hospital that considers surgery and post op as one department.They choose to utilize LPN's to scrub and if needed, we will go to the holding unit to provide post op care. This does not mean that they feel a ST could not do the job as well , they just want to keep labor costs down and utilize the skills that the LPN can provide in nursing as well.

If the state board of nursing approves this and the facility offers classes and documentation that the nurse is comptent to suture, the physcian has determined that he wants this scrub to close for him, I see no legal issue as far as the nurse is concerned. Common sense tells me that if the facilities paperwork is giving you the authority to suture and your state board of nursing says it is within your scope of practice, the chances of being sued is no greater for suturing than any other duty that might be performed during a surgery.

We only use LPN's in our OR to scrub and assist the surgeons. Our top LPN scrub does all the skin closures for all doctors except one that always does his own. I think it would be up to your facilities protocol and at the surgeons discretion as to whom he chooses to close his wounds.

wHAT IS THE PROPER WAY TO PASS TIES TO SURGEON

I work in a small hospital with two or suites. We have three scrubs and three RNs. We admit our patients in the holding unit, which we staff as well as surgery, we do the surgeries and do our own recovery as well. We clean and set up our own rooms as well as pull for the cases and set the cases up. Our turnover times are around thirty minutes with some being as fast as twenty minutes. At the begining of the day, the scrubs pull for the cases and set up the first two cases of the day, we then go to the holding unit and do whatever is needed to finish getting patients ready for surgery. When surgery starts, we scrub the cases with one RN circulating. At the end of the case, one scrub will remove the instruments and clean them while the other stays behind with the patient to clean and apply the dressings. While we are waiting for anesthesia to finish, I am empting the trash replacing the trash bags and picking up the floor. As soon as the patient is moved to the gurnie, I clean the bed and apply new sheets. the floor is mopped and we are setting up the next case on a wet floor. All of this and still, we cannot always meet the twenty minutes that management wants.We are breaking rules by removing the instruments before the patient leaves the or and setting up a case with a wet floor.What are we doing wrong? I am so sick of the doctors complaining about the turn over times.

When do you set up a case regarding the surgery schedule? Do you stay in the room after you set it up or do you leave and assist where needed until the patient is ready for surgery?

We have a small hospital with one call team and this is an ongoing problem. Every Friday, it is always 1700 and can be as long as 2100 before we get to leave. Administration is not going to say no because they want the revnue.

how long are the cords considered sterile when using a stersis?

How does your facility sterlize camera cords, camera heads and light source cords?

I am an LPN and I am the first assist. We do not circulate per our hospital policy however, in the state of Tennesse, we are allowed (if hospital policy permits) with the stipulation that an RN would be available in the next room.

First assist is someone who has been trained to assist the surgeon with the surgery. It can be a LPN, RN or MD.

You should not reach behind your back because it is considered unsterile.