RN's rarely scrub??

Specialties Operating Room

Published

I don't think being a RN in the OR is what I thought it was. I always thought one RN scrubbed, and then there was also another RN that was the circulating nurse. This is not so? Surgical Techs now do the scrubbing? This is true everywhere?

Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.
Yes, but your facility is the exception these days, not the rule. Also, I highly doubt that your facility will refuse to hire a nurse who only wants to circulate.

You are wrong. The ONLY way you can be hired is that you HAVE to scrub. My Director is from the old school and will not hire you if the only thing you want to do is circ. I have been doing this for over 30 years and I still hold the opinion that the only thing that makes an OR nurse whole is the ability to not only circulate well but also to be able to scrub anything that comes through the door. Other than that you are obnly getting half the OR experience. Also, yes we are an exception and the hospital is in a metro area of 500,000, so it isn't because we are in a rural area. I also have the advantage of being highly sought after in other facilities because I can do both, so this is another advantage of being trained correctly. I personally wouldn't do this anymore if the only thing I could look forward to each day was circulating, rather boring.

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You are wrong. The ONLY way you can be hired is that you HAVE to scrub.

Well enjoy it while it lasts. Scrub nurses are an endangered species.

Also, ALL experienced O.R. nurses are highly sought after, not just the ones like you and me who can scrub.

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My institution is a teaching hospital the RN's are required to Scrub and circulate all services. I scrubbed during nursing school (learned to scrub OTJ). I don't see how having a Nurse circulate only is at all beneficial. I can anticipate everything my Ortho Guys need during a case because I have scrubbed. Your forced to pay attention in the scrub role. I think as a circulator it's much harder to pickup the little things that really make a difference.

Honestly I wish the ST's has to circulate. Than they'd be a little more apathetic to what we go through.

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I don't see how having a Nurse circulate only is at all beneficial. I can anticipate everything my Ortho Guys need during a case because I have scrubbed.

Most hospitals prefer to save money instead of having nurses who are more well-rounded.

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Specializes in 5 yrs OR, ASU Pre-Op 2 yr. ER.
Honestly I wish the ST's has to circulate. Than they'd be a little more apathetic to what we go through.

Part of the tech orientation where i work is that the techs have to shadow an RN circulator for two weeks, to get an idea of how things are for the circulator.

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Specializes in Operating Room.
My institution is a teaching hospital the RN's are required to Scrub and circulate all services. I scrubbed during nursing school (learned to scrub OTJ). I don't see how having a Nurse circulate only is at all beneficial. I can anticipate everything my Ortho Guys need during a case because I have scrubbed. Your forced to pay attention in the scrub role. I think as a circulator it's much harder to pickup the little things that really make a difference.

Honestly I wish the ST's has to circulate. Than they'd be a little more apathetic to what we go through.

Where I worked as a scrub tech, we always helped to circulate. We would make sure everything was in order and give the scrubbed person whatever they needed. We had it to where the RN only had spend minimum time on counts and we would show them when we added anything to the field that needed to be counted. Even if we only had a few minutes to help, we made sure to do as much as possible to make the surgery go easier and smoother for everyone. Many times, when we were scrubbed we had to explain to the circulator how to add things to a sterile field or explain to them when and why we needed to count when we did.

I will finish with my BSN in May of 08 and I believe my experience as a scrub tech will greatly help me as an RN. Not only in the OR but also with sterile dressing dressings, IV's, Caths and anything else the sterility has to be maintained!

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let me start by saying once again, i am a cst who is returning to school in pursuit of asn degree and the rn title.

where i work, the csts have to second circulate on occasion. in school we were taught the fundamentals of circulating and had to do a minimum of two weeks of second circulating in clinical. i think this should be mandatory for all techs. it does give them a better understanding of the “team”.

we give assistants to all our physicians, so the rooms are one rn to two techs (occasionally two rns). techs relived techs and rns relieve rns. so it makes it nice if the techs know what the rn has to do and can help without having to be directed.

given this knowledge, i sometimes wonder if the additional money for becoming an rn is worth it, because i love to scrub. i know how much of a benefit to the patient i am in this role. i know that for my area, it would take me out of the scrub role.

i participate on a few surgical technologist boards and this seems to be an ever growing trend across the nation.

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

True, RNs that scrub will be a thing of the past. I am so lucky that I started at a time when Techs didn't even exist and RNs had to do it all. Anyone who has the oppurtunity to learn the scrub role should take advantage and see how it really should be done. Techs are the future because of economics and the cheapness of hospitals but in Calif they are not allowed to circ under any circumstances. They can get supplies and help position but that is it.

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"One of my best friends loves to scrub and didn't want the stupidity of circulating (just bread and butter here) so she works for a tech's salary"

Excuse me?! Did I read this right? I think the use of the word "stupidity" will not garner much respect for the member who posted this message. Before I went to nursing school I was a scrub tech for 8 years and really didn't have a clue how much I didn't know. However I was smart enough not to think circulators were nothing more than gofers with a license or that the job didn't require much in the way of critical thinking.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
Are you kidding? Scrubbing WAS a nurse's job before they were replaced by less expensive techs. If hospitals could get away with replacing ALL types nurses with less expensive workers, they would do so in a heartbeat. It's all about money.

Yes, but that was in the old days when nursing consisted of following doctor's orders and wearing white caps. What are you doing when you're scrubbing that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act? What principles of science or nursing are you applying in scrubbing that are particularly attributed to nursing? What quantitative declines have you noticed in patient care since scrub techs began handing instruments over?

I believe that our "opinions" should be based on evidence and evidence only. I'm willing to be proven wrong.

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Yes, but that was in the old days when nursing consisted of following doctor's orders and wearing white caps.

Nursing doesn't consist of following doctor's orders anymore?

What are you doing when you're scrubbing that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act? What principles of science or nursing are you applying in scrubbing that are particularly attributed to nursing? What quantitative declines have you noticed in patient care since scrub techs began handing instruments over?

I believe that our "opinions" should be based on evidence and evidence only. I'm willing to be proven wrong.

What are you doing when you're keeping track of patient financial charges that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act?

What are you doing when you're answering phones and taking messages for surgeons that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act?

What are you doing when you're mopping the floor that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act?

What are you doing when you're cleaning and flashing instruments that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act?

What are you doing when you're picking cases that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act?

What are you doing when you're setting up a fracture table that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act?

What are you doing when you're operating a tourniquet that is any act of nursing as defined by your state practice act?

There are hundreds of tasks that your job requires that are not defined by your state practice act, but they are still part of being a nurse.

By the way, across the nation, the only people scrubbed during certain cases are the surgeon and a scrub tech. That means the scrub tech is acting as the first assistant AND scrub assistant at the same time. You don't think this calls for a nurse? If not, why bother having surgeons? Maybe we can have scrub techs perform the whole surgery.

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"one of my best friends loves to scrub and didn't want the stupidity of circulating (just bread and butter here) so she works for a tech's salary"

really, you're kidding.

that was about totally uncalled for. when it comes to "stupidity" lets look at what is really happening. when the circulator has to "run" for something, it is the techs fault for not checking their case fully (remember i am a cst returning for nursing). the rest of the circulating duties are patient care, surgeon orders and charting. when did this become stupid? how can you be a "team" if you want to try to belittle your co-workers? each role in surgery has its pros and cons. each has its specific duties that ensure the best outcome for the patient. just because one role is not your cup of tea, it does not mean it is anything less than a great service to the patient.

i need to stop before i go into a rant!

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