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Discussion

Scrubbing

I was recently hired in the OR and doing a periop program. I was happy to see that I'm being taught to, and occasionally will scrub because I'd like to work towards RNFA. I know Scrub techs are cheaper to a hospital and with hospital wallets getting tighter, I was wondering if there are many hospitals that still have RNs scrub.

What does your hospital do? Exclusively ST, both ST and RN, do any hospitals still only have RN exclusively scrub?

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    Primarily STs, with the exception of a few RNs on the heart team who second assist. If short STs, RNs who once upon a time were STs will be utilized in the scrub role. Nurses are not taught to scrub in the main OR; heart team RNs have the option as long as there is enough staff.

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    I know some of the hospitals I have worked in prefer to have RN scrubs because they can rotate the different positions where techs can only scrub - short staffed if you need more RNs but have plenty of techs.

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    All new grads get a 3 month scrub orientation, and a 3 month circulating rotation through all of the services in their periop internship. If you're an experienced nurse, you complete a "needs assessment" and orient to those specialties you're weakest in. Everyone there learns how to scrub, because you never know if you'll have a scrubbing or circulating assignment.

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    We use ST unless we are short-staffed then some of our RNs that used scrub step up.

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    We have STs and RNs Both do both jobs. Especially on the later shifts because its slim pickings. I am a RN and I scrub and circulate daily. If you are paired with another RN you two can decide who scrubs and who circulates. Before I was a RN I was a ST but I dislike scrubbing. Id rather run my butt off as the circulator. :)

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    I mean RNs scrub and circulate. Not both do both jobs because STs can't circulate. Sorry for the typo.

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    Our organization is about an 80/20 split. All of our RN's are trained to scrub all cases except for hearts, as they have there own team.

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    It is optional at our hospital for RN's to learn to scrub, although on the neuro team about 40% of our nurses regularly scrub.

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    All of our RNs scrub with exception of two. When I first started ALL RNs were trained to scrub because we didn't hire Sts. I scrub as much as I like to but not as much as I want to because I am charge in the evenings. None of the RNs I have ever worked with over 36 years ever started out as an ST.

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