OR Skin Prep

Specialties Operating Room

Published

In my hospital, circulating nurses do skin preps after induction unless the surgeon prefers to do them.

I have finally gotten down Chloraprepping the abdomen (prepped from xiphoid to pubis and bed to bed) and below preps (pubis to buttocks including bilateral inner thighs and inside the lady parts with betadine sticks) but preps for other areas of the body, I'm clueless. I'm not ever sure as to the flow of the prep ie. Direction, prepping the dirtiest areas last, and what the landmarks are to chart.

I've googled and googled this topic to exhasution and downloaded OR nursing books, but I'm not finding what I need.

What have you used as resources to learn this? I'm very eager to learn as exasperated sighs from surgeons directed towards me for taking so long are getting old.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

First, check your facility's policies and procedures. It may be very clearly spelled out there- it is in my facility's policy.

Second, know the manufacturer's IFUs. They can indeed help. For example, a 26mL Chloraprep only covers a certain area. If you are using it for a full leg prep, you will most likely need 2 (unless the leg is very small)

Third, skip Google. You never know what will come up. AORN develops the standards for the OR, and relies heavily on Alexander's care of the Patient in Surgery as well as research. You can always go to http://www.aornjournal.org and search it directly.

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I need CBT on line materials please

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