Role of LPN in OR

[yoo jin]

It isn't clear to me, what is the role of an LPN in an OR? DO they also scrub and circulate? Document? Please shed some light. Thanks!

[litebrightgirl]

In my area they can be retrained as surg techs. May be different in other areas.

[MamaCheese]

They don't hire LPN's in the OR where I work.

[KayceeCA]

I've worked with quite a few LPN's who scrubbed. Quite a few of them were travel nurses. I don't know if any states allow LPN's to circulate.

[tiny1]

I am an LPN and I am the first assist. We do not circulate per our hospital policy however, in the state of Tennesse, we are allowed (if hospital policy permits) with the stipulation that an RN would be available in the next room.

[midlife_nurse]

I'm an LPN and I scrub and circulate. My hospital trains LPNs to do both. I am often a "0.5" person meaning I help set up cases and give breaks to both the scrub and circulator in one or two OR's. We have a few LPN/First Assistants as well but there aren't any new ones being trained.

I know most hospitals don't use LPNs anywhere anymore so I'm really blessed.

[teenarn]

In California, the state law requires an RN in the OR, no LPNs or LVNs may be the circulator

[297you]

To the LPN first assist's.....are either of you certified as a first assist?? I'm a LPN and a scrub. I took the Tech in Surgery Certification through the National Center of Competency Testing. I know I've worked with a LPN First Assist before, but she is older, and I'm not sure how she did it. I'm in Ohio and would really like to figure something out. Thanks!

[Mr. & Mrs. RN]

Our hospital no longer hires LPNs anywhere, but we have a few left. The ones in our OR act solely in a scrub role. The only additional thing they can do is to pull meds from the Pyxis.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

wherever I worked in the OR... there was no role... you had to be an RN,, now there was a couple people i remember who were LPNs, but they were employed as scrubs, the fact that they were LPNs meant noting regarding their practice.