witzend

We had to postphone one child's T's&A's because dad had stopped in at McGolden Arches on the way to hospital as a bribe ...

Dear Barbpick, the trouble with fundamentalism is ... Your statement coincides with what our managers pronounced: that we could only sit if the surgeon did, in homage to the novice's instruction of waist high sterile levels. However, life is not black and white, EVER. What about D&C's. Radical vulvectomy? Vag hysts? Try and do one of those sitting down next to the surgeon! I'm five feet tall, most of our ortho boys are over six foot [as strong as oxs' and half as clever(!)], I'd have to wear platform shoes ... At least I'd have an excuse for throwing out the overhead neuro table ... Good on you for studying law, now reconcile the steel of law with the soft flesh it dictates to and achieve something positive. "We are bright feathers on the breath of God". The venerable Bede

Reason dictates that if A&E are not busy they ought to transfer, but if they are and another unit is not, then that unit's staff should be utilised. Unfortunately, EVERYONE KNOWS that theatre staff sit around all night laughing and drinking and smoking and sleeping and of course they are all JEALOUS... All that aside, I know its difficult to step outside your comfort zone - ie the theatre unit - but the more you do it the easier it becomes, its good PR, and you just never know what interesting things you might discover. Luckily (!) we hit the floor running on ND, so its not an issue, and quite often we have to drag ward staff into recovery to help nurse the patients with no ward beds to go to. Important though to notify the IC if you don't feel skilled enough to adequately care for a complex case.

We had this discussion several months ago when the surgeon was delayed and a scrub was caught sitting down waiting. The rule of 'sterile' levels was involked and we were all forbidden to sit when scrubbed. Naturally all sorts of hackles bristled and qualifications listed re A-V fistulae etc, etc... Perhaps there's a reason she needs to sit down - perhaps she needs support stockings, cardiovascular assessment, fitness training or someone's said something to her early on re the perils of long hours on her feet? A mystery to be solved! We had a nurse who wanted to scrub for everything too. Two years later he's one of our mainstays and an oasis in a desert of disinterested scout. If all else fails, remove the chair from the room!

under the leg - even in 2003 urine wont flow uphill ...