Trauma Resuscitation Unit - STC

BAndersonRN · Nov 10, 2004

The receiving area at shocktrauma is basically like you said, an ED that deals with only trauma. Their primary focus is to rapidly assess, stabilize, and treat what they can, and once that is completed, to move them rapidly to the OR (which is adjacent to the receiving area, or to an Intensive care bed.) Since they are literally right next door to the OR, they wear surgical attire (ie caps, scrubs, booties) for two reasons more or less, 1. to reduce the rate of infection (since anyone who makes it out of the receivng area has made it thru the traumatic injury, but now has to worry about any sources of infection they may have come in with such as GSW/stab wound/crushing injury/amputation/etc, and 2. if they do need to move rapidly to the OR, they can go thru the restricted buffer zones without stopping to put hair caps/booties on...Typically in order to work in the receiving area experince in Critical care (2+ yrs), Emergency medicine (especially in a trauma center) and being very motivated/ strong personality will possibly get you in (very difficult from what i understand to land a job in the TRU) anyway hope that helped some.. you can also check out www.shocktrauma.org for more info...

Anyone work at MD STC in the TRU (or know someone who does)?
I'm interested in moving to MD and working at STC. I just came across an article in Pop Sci and I was wondering what exactly the TRU is like. It seems like it's basically an ED with nothing but Trauma. Is that a fair assesment? I noticed a lot of the nurses and docs in the picture are wearing OR caps and the article mentioned an OR next door. Does the staff cross-train to work in the OR as well?
Any info would be greatly appreciated!