POPRN

Oh my goodness...where I work. The CST's can be a 2nd circle with the RN. they mainly open and count and then they are "supposed" to stay and help the RN, by going and getting supplies and whatever is needed to do the case. CST's are not allowed to give meds. Teamwork is a good concept. but without a captain, where is the team??? as the RN in the room. I have to know when to send for the next patient. make all the phone calls. answer dr. beepers, give messages that include lab values, telephone orders etc... A CST does not have the training to do that nor do they have the legal ability! they don't have a license to lose!!!!! How can you circulate without the paper work? that is part of the job. I have found the CST very proficent in the clinical aspect of their job. The RN should be aware of the clinical aspect as well as the legal and ethical aspects. sorry to sound off.

YEA we have the scrubavail in our hospital. you get 2 credits. you have to use your badge or punch in your ID number...right now it isn't working....I can get scrubs but can't return them!!! or the machine runs out of my size!!! then I have to go to the next size up...I wear a small only because the hospital won't get the extra smalls. so a medium is huge!!!! the machine cost $60,000 and is supposed to stop people from stealing scrubs...If someone wants to steal scrubs they will figure a way to do it. Plus we only have unisex scrubs...really the male style. only one pocket on the shirt and a rear pocket on the pants. I really miss the old days...the women had 2 shirt pockets and no pants pockets. OH well...progress

Once upon a time I disagreed with Stevierae on this very post!!!! I am so sorry Stevierae!!!! I totally agree with you!!! nurses who know their shi* can sit!!!! and should sit!!!! I don't bring books to the OR but I do look on the computer( they are in the room to take up space only, we don't do charting on them) I read the patients chart. I do pay attention to the sounds on the monitors and look up from time to time. A good nurse and scrub can communicate without words. with just a look the nurse can see what is needed on the field, laps or suture etc... and hold up the item and the scrub with nod yes or no. Once again stevierae...I applaud you!

I have been asking myself the same question. I have worked in the OR for 13 years and I have seen the standard go down!!!! what once would have been unacceptable is now standard. It is a scary place to be. I have read the posts here for a few years and I have to agree totally with shodobe and stevieray on their many posts. Where I work, it has become standard to allow 2 techs to count while the RN is gone to get the patient. But as the RN, I am responsable for making sure the counts are correct. Several times the techs have forgotten to count bovie tips and other things we are required to count and be accountable for. The management goes by AORN standards only when they are convienant for them. They don't want the circulator to rock the boat by being the patient advocate. I love being an OR nurse!!! But I have lately been questioning myself for staying in this position. I don't want to leave the profession that I have worked so hard for. I occasionally work midnights in the OR. On the weekends I am the only person there!!!! that scares the Heck out of me!!! When an emergency comes in I have to book the case, run the preference card, start picking the case and call the tech and the attendant in!!!! I feel this is less than minimum care!!!! I would love suggestions that I could take to the managers on changing this dangerous practice! thanks

we use certified or techs where I work. It is a 13 month course like the LPN course. In one hospital, I worked uses or techs who are not certified. but they took the course.

We used to get $20/shift. But the hospital changed that to $2.50/hour so the call pay is the same but stops when you are called in. Yes we do get any shift diff including weekends. And of course we get time and a half as well.

Well Larry, that remains to be seen if the hospital will pay for me or not. I don't work full time. But yes the class was offsite. At the Corporate office. It wasn't off shift for me. But it was for some of the other nurses. I will find out when I get my next check if I was paid for the time. I was just wondering if this certification was being required for anyother nurses in the state.

Hello all Tennessee nurses. The hospital that I work at are now requiring all RN's to be ACLS certified. Has anyone else experienced this going on at your hospital? I work in the OR. I don't feel the need to be ACLS certified. If a patient codes, we have anesthesia right there and a surgeon. We have crash carts there. All the nurse has to do is record the event. I took the class last week and passed. Yea! But it was hard. I am not exposed to some of the front line drugs that were called for in the class. I am not unhappy that I took the class or passed. I am just wondering if any other RN's are being required to take the class without working in the ER or the Units.

I am short. 4'11". I work in the OR. I had a nursing instructor tell me that I was too short to work in the OR, to think about another area. Well!!!!! I have been in the OR for 12 years!!!!!! ever since I graduated. Don't let your size rule your decisions. and DON'T let anyone tell you that you are too tiny to work anywhere! Let the taller ones help you out. It is your skills that make a nurse NOT your size.

we don't have SA's where I work. Some of the surgeons have their own RNFA's But in lower East Tn. they use them all the time. they are paid MORE than the Techs. they also have CSRFA and one heart surgeon has his own RNFA. I agree that a 16 week course isn't enough time to learn what one needs to know. But I think they SA's can bill insurance for their time.

Where I work in the OR, there is a call schedule. Call is rotated, everyone except occasionals take call. It is about one weekend out of 7. Call pay is a whopping $2.50/hour. and you are on call for the entire weekend. Unless you are lucky enough to give all or part of it away. No nurses on the floor takes call where I work. the only depts. that have call are the OR, Cath lab, X-Ray and OB. we are in the beginning of union negotiations to increase our call pay. it has been the same pay for over 12 years!!!

we pad and tuck the arms at the sides, we are careful to make sure the arm with A-line is in proper position. I have done open hearts for 9 years. one hospital used towels to pad elbow and the other used foam pads. Hope this helps.

I had a tummy tuck 5 years ago. I was off work for only 4 weeks and was driving in 3 days. the pain was less than the c-section I had 24 years ago. by the way I had my c-sections with the old fashion up and down. so I had a bad fold under the umbilicus. YEA!!! I can now wear clothes that I wouldn't dare wear before. ie: knit dresses and a 2 piece bathing suit. I was not over weight. I only lost about 4 inches of skin. and 3 lbs. I followed my dr.'s orders and wore my binder for 8 weeks after. I am an OR nurse and before I made my decision to have a tummy tuck, I watched several and went to the dr.'s office for evaulation. NO amount of exercise would have helped me lose the excess skin, as a matter of fact I had a diastasis of 8 cm. so my insurance paid for most of the procedure. so I was lucky that way. so if you want to have a tummy tuck. be sure and listen and follow dr.'s orders!!!! best of luck