What would you do?

[linda2097]

Surgeon booked a case for 8am Saturday. I call the floor at 4am Saturday to check status of patient. Floor nurse is not aware that patient is having surgery today. There are no orders for surgery even though the case has been booked in the O.R.

I called the surgeon at 7am who confirmed the surgery. He then called the floor and gave them orders for surgery.

What would you have done if you were me? How early would you have called the surgeon?

[sassyjello]

I think 7am is fine... no earlier than 6am... and even then the surgeon might get mad because you called too early.

[shodobe]

Not unusual for surgeons to do this. I think 7am was OK, and if not, too bad. I was up on a Sat and I think he should be also.

[mcmike55]

7 sound fine to me.

In my hospital, I would be surprized that the pt would be NPO! Now you would have a mad doc!

Good job calling the floor and trying to get ahead of the curve!

Mike

[gnom]

Interesting surgeon that guy! How about NPO orders? May be a shower before sugery? Was the patient aware about the surgery? Or the guy gave an order to obtain a consent too? I used to be a floor nurse in smal hospital and moved to OR in the same hospital and that was usually the scenario for some BS surgeons. I work in Level I trauma center now

Plus what's up with 8 AM on Saturday? We do not allow elective cases for weekends - only emergiencies! You did a good job but that I would never see that surgeon if I had to have surgery.

[maeyken]

We're a teaching hospital, so I would have called the resident for that service as soon as I discovered their "oversight". However, if it was the surgeon I had to call... I think 7am was reasonable. If they're doing an OR at 8am they should definitely be up by then! Even 6:30 I think would be reasonable. After all, they booked the case and didn't tell anyone else, but they'd still be mad if it wasn't all ready to go...