surgery nurses

Editorial Team / Admin · Apr 10, 2006

hello, prettypear38655 and welcome to allnurses.com

i moved your thread to the operating room nursing forum for a better response.

enjoy the site.

MissJoRN, RN · Apr 12, 2006

We've had some threads on this in the past. It seems like this is a question that many members don't "like" to answer although it's a very good one. I know that I have a hard time answering it when a nurse or student asks me in person and very hard time putting it down in type! (let alone when a lay person asks me)

We do a lot! We (as RN circulators) are in charge of ensuring that safety, infection control, and so much more are maintained. Everyone in the room- RN, LPN, tech as well as the surgeon and anesthesia team also has to be cognizent of these issues and even though we say "it's the circulators job" I hope all team members feel it's their job, too. Usually that's what I see. Task-wise, we might spend a lot of time charting, hooking up monitors, trouble shooting video equipment, changing suction bottles and irrigation bags, prepping, gathering and setting up instruments and equipment, and counting. It looks like assembly line work! Sometimes it feels like rote assembly line work. But there is a lot of nursing knowledge that goes into it and a lot of advocacy and "caring" even though you spend very little time hand holding and comforting the patient (but believe me you spend more time doing it than the pt will ever remember!)

Anyway... a few posts... maybe we can make some of them sticky?

General

AORN Online

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/question-nurses-10448.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/scrub-nurse-nurse-122040.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/nursing-questions-54837.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/what-does-circulator-charge-room-mean-your-41591.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/role-nurse-48573.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/what-scrubbing-what-circulating-159789.html

https://allnurses.com/forums/f39/nursing-real-nursing-157655.html?highlight=nursing+real+nursing

Scrubbing

Association of Surgical Technologists