The Operating Room

In training, I spend four months in the Operating Room, that wonderful, scary, fascinating, educational place. Nurses Announcements Archive Article

  • Specializes in Labor & Delivery, Med-surg.

You are reading page 2 of The Operating Room

houselover

2 Posts

Specializes in cardiac cath lab, operating room.

I worked in the operating room at a small town hospital for two years and was recently laid off. Not a day goes by that I dont wish I could go back. I had time to connect with patients and hold thier hands while they went to sleep. I would request repeat patients to ensure continuity of care and they realy liked having someone they knew with them and I was glad to be there for them. I cried the first few times I was in a C-section -what a wonderful thing!

Oh well, I'll be going back to the Cath Lab for now but I think I'll pull some call to keep my hand in.

rnpro4

1 Post

i worked about 8 years in a general theatre now in an obstetric theatre. I love them all and feel that joy when patients are in recovery and all the never ending thanks are flowing. Yes three were scary and touch and go moments, but knowing the best was done is pleasing. I guess this applies to nursing in general.

Oh_are_nurse

9 Posts

Wow, thanks so much for the post. I have been an OR nurse since I graduated 2 years ago. I knew since my first semester of nursing school, while following my med-surg patient to surgery, that it was the type of nursing I want to practice...

During that first surgery, the room looked like chaos...but as I observed more closely, I realized that the "chaos" was more like a dance where every person in the room had a job and knew what had to be done and when.

When my friends from school joke with me that my patients are asleep and that I am not doing "real" nursing, I laugh and let it roll off my back, but I also retort that "Yes, my patients are asleep, but I am advocating and taking care of them at their most vunerable". Then I smile and say, if there was a massive disaster in our city and floor nurses were needed, I could dig into my brain and work the floor...then I ask my friends, if help was needed in the OR, could you just walk in and start working? (all with a sweet smile on my face, of course)

I know that 90% + of the time, the surgery intervention allows my patients to leave the room in a better state than when they came in, that they are most likely on their way to recovery.

FYI: some surgeries can be done WITHOUT GA, when I had tubal, my gyn said I could have epi,

while filling out pre forms saw a guy who was so very nervous, needed hernia surgery and was so afraid of GA, who isn't? I told him to ask his doctor,womenhving c/s's most of the time do no require GA and that surgery is a complicated one. My gyn is fantastic, she says too many quick surgeries (not all gyns) do not need GA. I was very lucky to have found such an educated & open minded gyn.

Also, please don't LOVE c/s the parents are nervous and too many are still being done in the States,

too many women have trouble afterwards with adhesions....you should see some of the chatter on-line regarding "not feeling right after c/s's - some done YEARS AGO. Also, sadly, there is still quite a number of women who've had HORRIBLE c/s's , happy about baby being born healthy but LOUSY DOCTORS, hmmmmm, look @ their posts, heartbreaking.

Also, in NYC, TOO MANY GYN OR NURSES DO NOT AND I REPEAT DO NOT advocate for women while they are asleep. A friend of mine had total hys a few months back, I warned her about signing that damn vague consent form & told her about pelvic exams under anesthesia, & that she can refuse to have them ALL TOGETHER and in fact cross out "interns & med. students may be part of your health care team & may participate with tests and exams (pelvic), poor girl was so upset & scared morning of surgery (uterine cancer) was in OR things happening so fast & then mask coming over her face & then BOOM she remembered what I told her...tried to protest but out she went. She has been so devastated by it, still won't tell her husband . Hopefully she'll talk to her gyn soon or get a new gyn but I've urged her to send off a letter to him. Too many NYC teaching hospitals are tricking & taking advantage of women having to have emergency gyn surgery or scheduled surgery. It is premeditated rape as far as I am concerned. It is orchestrated actually. That's where my friend DID NOT HAVE A NURSE ADVOCATING FOR HER. Also nurse knew shehad no gown on, told her she was taking off the blanket now & then walked away & took her sweet old time coming back with OR blanket. Friend was so embarrased but too scared to say anything, that nurse sound creepy to me & then probably was the one who put her legs in stirrups and spread her NICE & WIDE for all to see. Poor girl. If surgeons/residents/med. students, anesthetist, or nurses think there is NOTHING WRONG with this & that patient signed consent WHY OR WHY ISN'T IT MADE KNOWN TO ALL WOMEN from the start? I've warned so many of my relatives & friends & asked them to do the same. Glad some hospitals are paying women to be gyno teachers. But.........still too many women being tricked, in city hospitals so many black & spanish women have NO IDEA and NO ONE IS TELLING THEM. Yes it is so much better if women are under GA, no guarding, etc. (What is going to happen to women who've been raped/date raped/abusive relationship rape, find out that any women need gyn surgery & is put under GA before being prepped has most likely been used as a teaching tool. And everyone watches this????? SICK SICK SICK, ALSO PLEASE REPORT NURSERS TO DO NOT KNOW OR JUST DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT PATIENT MODESTY!!!! NYC is unbelievable.

Thanks to all, know it was a bit wordy!!!

woodlandjr

1 Post

I am a nursing student right now and I aspire to be a nurse anesthetist. I love the operating room, everything about it fascinates me. I am very pleased to hear all stories about the operating room.

suzybraunrn

1 Post

Hopefully the *** is dead by now. But it still goes on. Just visit Shasta Medical Center in Redding.

Posted by: judybsn

Original Content:

There was one surgeon back in the 70's who use to throw things (even bloody sponges) when things got tense in the OR. I'm sure he'd be reprimanded now if he tried such a thing (or does such behavior still go on??)

I Loved working in the OR, almost as much as the PACU

P_RN, ADN, RN

6,011 Posts

Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

judy my 40+ y/o daughter had surgery 6 weeks ago and *i* felt just as apprehensive as you.

in nursing news brian (the founder here) has just posted an article about or lateral bullying. read it; because it's still going on.

and oh are nurse i love your phrasing:

during that first surgery, the room looked like chaos...but as i observed more closely, i realized that the "chaos" was more like a dance where every person in the room had a job and knew what had to be done and when.

TerryBSN

44 Posts

Specializes in OR, ICU, Home Health.

I began my career as a OR nurse, back in 1996 I was a circulator and then back in 2000 I began as a travel nurse in the OR, I can tell you that in 2002 I had a neurosurgeon from a large famous medical center threw a scapel across the room, I was circulating and always worked in a level I trauma center OR and I was taught that the circulator was responsible and ran the room, well let me tell you when he threw that and the profanity that came out I jumped him in front of the entire OR team and put him in his place. I also refused to ever circulate in his room again. I hope this type of thing no longer occurs, this type of behavior is a law suite just waiting.