ChrisNZ

I work in a small hospital with 5 operating rooms. We are able to wear cloth hats, the hospital washes them for us daily along with our scrubs.

We use the hovermats and our anaesthetics use another product called the hover wedge to reduce manual handling. They are great products.

Thank you for your excellent case study! I work in a facility where I don't often come across such ethical dilemmas as this. It was very interesting to think about and reflect upon how I would have handled this and then compare to the actual outcome.

I still do general as a part of my week to week, but am looking to re-assure that my focus on spine is not wasted. Thanks for your' response!

I worked as the equivalent of CNA (different names for the same role in my country) for three years while I studied. Whilst I was good and generally enjoyed the wards at the work I found it very tiring and at times frustrating, particular in regards to patients who just wouldn't improve. Upon graduation I was offered employment in a small private hospital in the OR. I work mon-fri, scrub, circulated and assist. I love what I do!! There are many avenues in nursing that you can take, it pays to investigate and find what works for you.

Hello all! I am a new graduate nurse working in the OR for seven months now. I work in a private hospital (I'm in a country with 'universal' healthcare) with seven OR's, we cover most specialties except maxfax and cosmetic surgery (we do breast cancer and reconstructive). Currently I work across ENT, Gynae, General, Urology, Breast, minor vascular procedures, Neuro-spine/ortho-spine. I have a particular interest in spine and it is my strongest area. I currently scrub, circulate and work as a surgical assistant. I can confidently work for any procedure. I order our equipment and implants for our lists. Anyway, thinking of the future. Is this a good speciality to focus on along with the other areas I work in? Are nurses who know spine sought after in general? I know the context of my country versus USA is somewhat different, but shares alot of similarities from what I have read on here. Thanks for your responses everyone!

I have to say it sounds awfully hard to break into scrubbing as a new RN in the US. In New Zealand I work in a private hospital and we have an all RN work force in our theatres. Depending on the list we have 2-4 RN's assigned to a theatre. We all take turns as surgical assistant, scrubbing, circulating which is great! Because somedays scrubbing just seems like the worst job and other days I can't look at paperwork and just want to scrub!

Today in a case which I was running we had a 'near miss incident'. I was working in an ENT OR for a tonsillectomy. The incident started when a more senior nurse whom was working alongside me turned up the settings on the Bovie from 8 to 30 coag (I'm not sure whether the units we use in my country differ to that of the US). Before plugging in attachments to the ESU generator I always confirm the settings with the surgeon, in this case I did so twice. As the scrub handed the diathermy over she also called the settings to the surgeon, again. Once the unit was activated the surgeon was very upset that it was put on too high. Luckily, no harm was done to the patient. Our surgeon is also very considerate that I am new to ENT too so debriefed with the team afterwards. We wrote up the incident as a communication breakdown due to non-patient related discussions in the room. In our debrief our surgeon told us that a coag of 30 for a tonsillectomy could cause the carotid to rupture as the electrical current found it's grounding point. I was under the impression that in modern ESU units that the return electrodes offered the paths of least resistance due to their conductive properties. My coleagues in the OR nor I, had ever heard this before. I could only imagine it being a risk if the tissue was cut through and actually pierced, particularly seeing as we use higher settings of coag when doing adenoids. I understand the importance of accurate communication and we have discussed as a team how this incident occurred and how we could prevent it in the future. Could anyone give me their thoughts on this? I am curious to learn and build upon my knowledge from this experience to improve patient safety and my own practice. I am particularly curious about the risks of having too high of a power setting, particularly for ENT surgery.

I would say the one year of med-surg is not essential. I was offered a position in the OR about six months before I graduated. Nothing is impossible!

MD: The diathermy (bovie) is not working (*not pressing the button properly*, on purpose as always) Me: Press the button properly. MD: Oh right. Seems every week there is some issue with the diathermy. Seems like every week the solution is to press the buttons properly.

My old employer did this with ICU nurses. Generally they did admission assessments and task nursing, no patient load incase they were needed back in ICU.

At my facility people usually do online education, help in other OR's, stock room work or they sit in the tea room until their shift is over.

I'm not sure what the laws are like in the US but as a student doing my final clinicals in the OR in my country I was able to act as scrub as well as assist for procedures which required an assistant (holding retractors ect ect). My favourite was assisting with Cardiac procedures, it still kinda feels surreal I was allowed to do so much. I was hired into that hospital as a graduated nurse and am loving it!

It'll take time, but you will get there eventually. One day you'll look back and think 'I can't believe I used to stress over _____' I started in community, then moved to a facility similar to yours finishing in the hospital setting. I now have a new grad job in the operating theatre. It's been an amazing work life so far and very rewarding! It'll be hard but if you stick at it, slowly but surely you'll get quicker/better. I think alot of the older staff sometimes forget that they once knew nothing too.

No employer of mine ever cared for anything such as union/student association involvement. I would ever go as far to say that it could potentially hinder employment. I had one charge nurse tell me that she preferred those without such involvement as they 'tend to complain more about their rights in the work place, instead of just working'. I disagreed with the sentiments of said charge nurse. However, getting a job is all about playing the game. Find out what they want and give it to them. But also find out what they dont want and hude it from them.

Having worked nights in my hospitals float pool throughout my nursing degree I would often get pulled to patient sit in my early days. I get pulled less now due to the pool losing alot of experienced staff due to the big birds tryjng to cut costs moving me up the chain of experience). I agree with the generalisation that they will sleep all night or be absolutely diabolical, then fall fast asleep come end of shift. Sitting can be scary, I have been, hit, kicked, chairs thrown; almost amy crazy method of assualt possible. This is because it is often assumed that as a male, I am more suited to the aggitated/aggressive patients. It can be scary, hard and stressful or mind numbingly boring. This role is definitely under-appreciated. Thank goodness I have a new graduate job in the OR next year..

I work only as an Health Care Assistant (my countries name for PCT), ICU patients here are strictly 1:1 ratio. HDU unit is generally 1:2

I float across a large hospital filling in for roster deficits/high acuity. Most nights when there is free time, which one could use for study/facebook/other unproductive activities I usually find myself cleaning trolleys/restocking supplies ect. I find working across either ICU or HDU I have my most down time. Most of my time is spent doing two hourly turns when the hospital attendants come round, usually taking the head (if RN is administering PR meds) or doing the 'dirty work' of the turn. Other than that there's not much else to do apart from maintaining a 'clean and safe enviroment'. I occasionally do 1:1 with patients exhibiting aggressive or challenging behaviors. If seems my luck that most of these patients tend to sleep for me so I usually just read/study.

I was just thinking after returning home (well current home away from home) from my clinical placement in a rural hospital about my favourite experiences to date.. I work in a 600 bed hospital as a Health Care Assistant (my countries equivalent of PCT) in my hospitals internal agency while I study. I always thought I liked the late nights in departments of ED, Resus, Acute Assessment, ICU, HDU ect. Fast paced, high tech and high patient turn over. However, as apart of my clinical training I was placed in a 12 (+2 maternity) bed hospital with a 2 bed Emergency department, small day surgery operating theatre and an xray machine to boot. I have to say that I'm loving it. The variety is amazing. However a new found passion may be developing, we get many palliative patients. I've seen a new side of palliative care. Providing patients with true dignity and respect. A nice death. When I return to work I will be hard pressed to find deaths as nice as the ones I have experienced here. Quiet hospital room with a view to die for. In addition to caring, experienced nurses who just have 'it'. It just doesn't quite compare a sterile white hospital room over looking the city with overworked health staff who see palliative care as a nuisance often over utilising certain aspects of the LCP. I'm sure my thinking and writing is disorganised right now as it's late. But who cares. I was feeling all deep and meaningful after another amazing night of providing true nursing care.

I have a digital nurses watch, I know you can get some with glow in the dark hands on the (although I don't know how effective they are. I also wonder whether it would be acceptable to use a smart phone with a timer function on it or not.

PUMA Damen Street Jump High-Tops | Lifestyle â€" im Puma® Online-Shop I wear these, most comfortable pair of shoes I own. They also have lasted well from being on the wards, still looking relatively new. Also, scrubs aren't always all they are cracked up to be, sometimes I feel like I get to wear pajamas to work other days I feel like I'm wearing a potato sack. A maroon potato sack.

I know of a man in his sixties who become an Enrolled Nurse (my countries equivilant of LPN). It's never too late.

For a standing hoist a patient must be able to follow instructions, weight bear and should only be for short transfers or exercising (often used in rehab for this purpose). A patient who is non weight bearing and is hoisted using this type of hoist is at risk of injuries such as dislocating their shoulders. My only other suggestion is contacting the manufacturer of the machine or searching for a instruction manual for the specific make and model of hoist.

Where there is people there is poop.

This is a very good question. I look forward to reading the responses from our RN's.