kimballina

Our surgeons do it the same way as stated by twinmomoftwins. They place the spleen into whats called an endocatch (its like a bag on a stick!)and mush the spleen up and then remove by suction (or a grasper for the bits that refuse to break up any further!!) I've seen huge spleens done this way,so size doesn't seem to matter. Again done through the 10 mm port. They are the same incisions as for a lap chole!!!

I agree that you should modify your trays as best as you can to make them more efficient and easier to count. At my hospital, in Sydney, Australia, we have always checked our trays and have to sign paperwork to say checks have been done pre and post op (by both scrub and scout doing the count).This count is done for all procedures no exceptions!!!!. It is part of our Australian heath department policy.It really does not take that long,and trust me the surgeons get use to it (they did complain a little bit in the beginning).They now rely on it!!I suppose it has been made easier by the fact that the surgeons have to wait for us as it is protocol for all checks to be done prior to commencement of any incision. Yes it is difficult for junior and new staff but they also see it as a great way of learning their instruments!! Our operating time has not seemed to have slowed down.For instance a typical day: 2x hernias, 3x lap choles, 2x liver resections, 3x ERCPs .We stop operating at 6pm,start at 8am. We here do not x-ray every patient after an op, that is considered as a unneeded exposure to radiation,so the instument check is a wonderful reassurance that nothing has been left in the patient.Of course if there is any discrepency or doubt about totals a x-ray is done before the patient leaves the room. Hope this helps. Kimballina

Brenno, As stated above ,UTS has a good reputation. About your employment chances here in sydney?. GOD !!!!! All hospitals will be begging you to work for them!!!!!!! OR nurses are in high demand ,[actually all nurses are] so don't worry, enjoy your training and have fun here in sunny OZ!!!!.Welcome to the country that is truely blessed!!

I dont work in the US. But where I do work here in australia, we work 24/7. We have 22 theatres,with two working overnight, more if there is a transplant. 3 RNs overnight with 1 EN with 6 oncall for various specialities. 2 techs for anaesthetics. We never close. God at times I wished that we did!!!!!!!!!!!It can be a real shocker sometimes!!!!!!!!!

I work in a large inner city hospital here in australia which has 22 theatres.In total we have five people on call overnight . One for cardiac, one is for neuro, one is for transplant, and two are for general. The specialities which are considered "high skilled areas" are filled by scrubbed sisters/senior staff. (ie will be scrubbing for the case)This is for cardiac, neuro, and transplant .As for the general call this includes everyone and is done on a rotating basis. I must say this does not always work. For instance the on call person usually does a late shift on their on call days and it is usually then that you need the extra person, but you are counted in the numbers, so the extra on call person is actually on shift !!!!!. So what it means is the on call person has to stay back. Because of the high number of junior/ inexperienced staff, we have only a limited number of people who do cardiac, neuro, and transplant call.I do the transplant call and i must say my life would be much easier if i had another person on call with me . Sometimes you feel like you are always on call!!!!, plus, usually i have put with me a scout that has never seen a hernia let alone a transplant!!!, and it is most frustrating to say the least .But due to costs involved and the lack of nurses this is the way it shall stay . Sorry for all the whinging!!!!!!!! I hope i answered your question .

dear ERRN1028, What a lucky little boy to be given a second chance. :) I hope all goes well for him and his family. I work with these sorts of patients( I am a scrubbie in OT for the transplants ) and must say if you ever loose your sense of feelings for these patients, or any type of patient for that matter, you are in the wrong profession. So don't feel bad for feeling what you feel, it is one quality that makes good nurses great

Thanks every one. I have spoken to my management about her (she is well known for her behaviour!!!) and up to this point they have done nothing. Perhaps I need to go higher even still. Wish me luck.

:angryfire Does anyone have any hints about how to deal with a workplace bully? I have a fellow work mate, who i feel is abusing her power over our junior staff. I have tried to explain to her that she is a bit rough on them and will only scare them away (which she has done many times in the past) that they are new and need to be looked after a little . She just says that if they dont toughen up they will never survive, and that i need to learn to be tougher on them and to not treat them as a friend as they will just walk over me one day . It is difficult as it is to keep nurses in the theatre suite and she is just making it worse, even though we share the same higher role, she doesn't believe that by her belittling these people in front of others,that it is abuse, not "character building" as she sees it

WOW!!!! How simple some things come about! Very interesting indeed !! Many a nurses fav topics , food and alcohol :)Very clever.

marie LPN. GOD!!!!I know how you feel!!!!!Sometimes it is so hard to not scream and shout and be totally sarcastic when you see your fellow work mates sitting on their ever growing behinds doing nothing when it is so obvious that your team could do desperately with another pair of hands.I understand and appreciate when a lull arrises you grab the chance to get a cuppa, but not when the **** is hitting the fan elsewhere an their help could make all the difference!!!! dont be sorry for venting!!Its not healthy to hold it all in!

Here in australia ,a clinical nurse specialist is a nurse with expert clinical knowledge in their chosen field ,but we do not need a Doctorate ! We do need to have worked in our chosen area for at least 5 years though. We provide ongoing education and actively work in the field that we teach,(those are the rules!!) so lots of hands on,constant refreshing and always available to fellow workers!!!!!

i am the same, i would never ask for a script like that!!!they would probably think i was some kind of druggie !!!!!!!!!

its like any job,it can be great at times and so rewarding, but on the other hand the bad times can be tough going.But i can say there is no other job quite like this!!!!!!