surgeons often times regard OR nurses as damn people

ShariDCST · Aug 8, 2009

i enjoy most of my time doing my job. in fact i dreamed of being an or nurse since i stepped into college.but what went wrong with our teammates in the or- the surgeons...
alright, they are the captain of the ship,and the main reason why we could conduct the operation.
but why does it happen that they would act as if they own us or we would be responsible for their bleeders and traumatised bladder? are they insane???!!!!
i know for a fact everyone of us experienced the confusing act of these professionals.i'll site some examples:
1. did you ever experienced being blamed when while operating,they hit the bladder of the unconscious patient while you were busy arranging the instruments on the tables? or..
2. have you caught a flying kelly/forcep because the surgeon did not like its grip? or..
3.being scolded in front of the patient because she is late for her next anaesthesia induction in the other hospital, which is suppose to be prearranged by herself knowing that she had two other patients coming later? or..
4.accusing you of forgetting a rolled gauze to be removed from a post natal lady parts because she mistakenly thought she already took it.
gosh...
would you please tell this surgeons to sleep for at least 5 minutes so they would get a clear mind...and please teach them to acknowledge their mistakes.they are not gods and goddesses..

the first person who discovers how to do the last thing you mentioned effectively - "tell this surgeons to sleep for at least 5 minutes so they would get a clear mind...and please teach them to acknowledge their mistakes.they are not gods and goddesses.." will have the undying gratitude of the entire medical staff of every hospital/surgery center/medical institution in general on the planet............i wish you luck. mostly they are looking for a scapegoat so they can maintain that "god-like" image that they are infallible and can do no wrong. the ones who do that stuff are very insecure about themselves and can't deal with blame for doing something less than perfectly, or with the fact that they are indeed human beings just like the rest of us. heaven forbid they get knocked off their self-styled little pedestals by being like us ordinary mortals. but we all put our scrubs on one leg at a time, and sometimes they need a reminder that we are not "underlings" or "peons" - but there to help them do their jobs.

btw - "flying kelly/forceps" in the or can amount to assault and battery on staff if it actually strikes someone. assault if it doesn't. it depends on the situation, and the willingness of the victim/target to prosecute. it's happened before. i tolerate no flying instruments in my or from anyone. another annoying and dangerous thing they like to do sometimes is messing around with the mayo stand without my knowledge or permission. sharps are dangerous, and i need to know where every one of them is every second so none of us gets hurt. if i get a "grabby" surgeon, then i move the mayo out of his/her reach, smile and ask them kindly to let me know what they need, and i'll be sure to have it ready for them and in their hands before they can get the words out, but please do not grab instruments off the mayo. if they persist, then i back away from the field. inevitably, the want to grab without looking at what they are doing, and that's when someone gets hurt, or instruments get knocked off the mayo and either land on the patient - bad :nono: - or on the floor and are contaminated.

takes a pretty thick skin to survive in the or - i think it comes with time and experience. don't worry too much - it sounds like you care a lot and are very conscientious. i think you'll be fine.