Semester long OR clinical

schnookimz · Jan 15, 2015

Pre-op: vitals, ivs, getting the patient changed and ready, logging belongings and valuables, checking the chart for all paperwork and labs, answering questions

OR: Gathering equipment, setting up rooms, helping patient move from a cart over to the or table, hmmm not sure what else they would let a student do? Might be a good amount of watching---which is great too!

Post: vitals, hooking patient up to monitor, assisting with transfer to stage 2 of recovery

LAM2010, BSN · Jan 16, 2015

Pre-op: vitals, ivs, getting the patient changed and ready, logging belongings and valuables, checking the chart for all paperwork and labs, answering questions
OR: Gathering equipment, setting up rooms, helping patient move from a cart over to the or table, hmmm not sure what else they would let a student do? Might be a good amount of watching---which is great too!
Post: vitals, hooking patient up to monitor, assisting with transfer to stage 2 of recovery

For the OR I'd also read up on (or remember from before) transferring patients from stretcher to OR bed and back - using the roller or slider boards. Make sure the brakes are on the beds and safety straps are on! I'd think they would at least help you have your hands on the patient before they prep and after they're done. Keep your eye on all the bony prominences and pressure points - we pad those to protect their skin and joints. Also read up on sterile fields and sterile technique - you will probably be told to stay away from these in the OR, lol. But to understand why would help. These kinds of things do carry over to med/surg or surgical nursing floors - your post-op patients might be sore just from OR positioning, and you use sterile technique to apply some dressings and central line dressings, to put in foleys, etc. Maybe they'd even let you put in a foley (teaching hospitals would, anyway). :) FUN.

ChrisNZ · Jan 17, 2015

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!

Editorial Team / Admin · Jan 17, 2015

I work in the OR itself, and unfortunately, there isn't a lot we can allow students to do according to facility policy. Medication dispensing to the sterile field must be done by an RN, counts must be done by at least one RN- a student wouldn't be allowed to count with the surgical tech at the table. They are not allowed to do documentation. Implants? Has to be an RN. Students may insert foleys, help with positioning, and help with prepping the patient. It may be a good idea to speak with either the nurse manager or the nurse educator for the OR where you are precepting so that you know what you are allowed to do officially and don't get into trouble because the nurse you are with that day lets you do more than what you are allowed.

Ozzy84 · Jan 17, 2015

In New York State they don't allow students start an IV . You can hang an IV bag .. In OR they just allow

Is to watch procedure that's it. Sounds suck but in New York City they mostly allow give meds change dressing and so .. ( I wish we could practice set up new IV ..

livmoore89 · Jan 20, 2015

Wow, it's so different every where you look! Thank you everyone for your input! I'm going to brush up on my foley skills, IV skills and blood draws. I have no idea about the beds, so I'll look into that as well. Thank you everyone!