Visitors in OR

[Butterfly62]

I work in a very small Ambulatory Surgery Center and some of our doctors allow visitors in the OR during patient surgeries. I feel this is unsafe and poor infection control practices (even though the visitor is wearing the appropriate gear). All the waivers are signed, etc. I feel it's wrong, though to routinely allow someone to watch someone else's surgery UNLESS that person is a student in the medical field or for research purposes.

Does anyone know of any written guidance on this subject?

Thank you!

[suzanne4, RN]

It requires approval from the Director of the OR there as well as written permission from the patient as well prior to the surgery being started.

First question would be: why are their visitors there in the first place? For what reason? Are they just golf buddies of the physician that want to see how something is done, or why?

Are they a rep for the company that is supplying instrumentation for the case?

[Butterfly62]

We have a surgeon who believes highly in education ,which is great. But I prefer to only have people in there who are active students in the medical profession. He will let ANYONE in there to watch surgeries. Of course, all the appropriate paperwork is signed, but I have a real problem with this. The last "visitor" was a 13-year-old girl who had to be escorted out because she was feeling faint.

I am also the OR director, as well as the nurse director. Our policy and procedure on this basically states that the appropriate paperwork and scrubs will be worn. It does not state who can go in there, which is a flaw I'm going to correct.

What it comes down to is this: this a privately owned practice by several surgeons. They seem to always have the final word. I feel like I can't win!

[Batman24]

We have a surgeon who believes highly in education ,which is great. But I prefer to only have people in there who are active students in the medical profession. He will let ANYONE in there to watch surgeries. Of course, all the appropriate paperwork is signed, but I have a real problem with this. The last "visitor" was a 13-year-old girl who had to be escorted out because she was feeling faint.

I am also the OR director, as well as the nurse director. Our policy and procedure on this basically states that the appropriate paperwork and scrubs will be worn. It does not state who can go in there, which is a flaw I'm going to correct.

What it comes down to is this: this a privately owned practice by several surgeons. They seem to always have the final word. I feel like I can't win!

So a patient having surgery is consenting in writing to having a 13 year old girl in there to watch and observe their surgery?! That's seems odd and inadvisable especially as she is a minor. I would think this is something most lawyers would argue against as well. Do you have a Risk Management or Legal Dept you can turn to at this facility?!

[RN1989]

Visitors? Like people that have nothing to do with the surgery? If they aren't reps that are assisting with using new equipment or med students that the doc is mentoring then this is not cool. And the patient should always be informed before surgery of persons other than the OR team that may be present. If the patient objects then the visitors don't get in the door. I had a problem with the plastics guys having other docs (not plastic surgeons) come in to watch breast augs. Basically the docs were ogling the women and they especially wanted to see the women when we sat them upright to verify placement and fill of the implants. My objections to this practice were not noted and I was put on the doc's poopy list for daring to say that this was unethical. Despite the fact that we were supposed to cover the windows so others couldn't see in but it was ok if other docs actually came in the door. Now I remember one of the reasons that I got out of the O.R.