What does an OR Holding nurse do? Any RN O.R. Holding Nurses Here?

[Luv2NurseRN]

I am a RN who has been working on a PCU CHF floor for two years and I would like a change.......Just wondering if you can tell me what you do from day to day at your job. Thanks.

[Fiona59]

There are scrubs, circulators, pre-op area and recovery room nurses in our theatres. Which area are you asking about?

[Luv2NurseRN]

Hello,

Thanks for your reply. I am talking mostly about the Pre Op area.

[Argo]

Some places Have preop and surgery in seperate areas. When this happens you have to have a holding area where the next patient for each OR is in a holding pattern in. The RN in this area sorts the circilators paperwork from Anesthesia paperwork, starts difficult IV's puts small peripheral items, gets surgeon to sign h&p/consents before going to OR( insurance wont pay without this an its a jcaho requirement). Things like this are done in our holding area.

[classicdame, MSN, EdD]

they also monitor the patient during holding. Not every pre-op patient is healthy.

[FoodieJ]

It also depends highly on what kind of surgical area you are holding for.

Our patients are all ortho so our holding area patients are very healthy, medically speaking, usually just need a joint replaced, or scope.

Most of, like over 90%, of our patients come from the outside to our holding area before surgery. As opposed to them already being a patient in the hospital.

So our holding nurses need to do a full assessment, as well as Iv's or any minimal blood draw needed on morning of surgery. Over ¾ of our patients have had all testing and blood work done the week before as an outpatient.

Consents are all done by the Physician Assistants.