Perioperative Registered Nurse Essay

O.R. nurses are also called Perioperative Registered Nurses more accurately reflect their duties immediately before, during, and after surgery. Perioperative registered nurses are relied on their professional judgment and critical thinking skills. They may work closely with the surgical patient, family members, and other health care professionals. They make a plan, implement the interventions, and evaluate treatment of the patient.
Roles and activities in the unit

Perioperative registered nurses provide surgical patient care by assessing, planning, and implementing the nursing care patients receive before, during and after surgery. These activities include patient assessment, creating and maintaining a sterile and safe surgical environment, pre- and post-operative patient education, monitoring the patient’s physical and emotional well-being, and
integrating and coordinating patient care throughout the surgical care continuum.
• Scrub nurse – works directly with the surgeon within the sterile field by passing instruments, sponges, and other items needed during the surgical procedure.
• Circulating nurse – works outside the sterile field. Responsible for managing the nursing care within the O.R. by observing the surgical team from a broad perspective and assisting the team in creating and maintaining a safe, comfortable environment. Also, interview the patient before the surgery and make sure consent is signed.
• Perioperative Tech –Before surgical procedures, perioperative tech sterilizes tools, make sure there are enough supplies and confirm that equipment is working.
They may also prepare patients by washing incision areas and putting patients on operating tables. In addition, techs help surgical staff put on sterile clothing, such as gowns and gloves. During operations, techs listen to instructions, pass instruments and supplies to surgeons, and take care or dispose of any specimens for laboratory analysis. After surgery, techs keep the patient sterile and transfer him to recovery rooms. They can then clean the operating room, restocking supplies and preparing for the next procedure.
I got opportunity to talk with one of the client who was going to have a surgery. I went with the other nurse to interview the client. The question was being asked about last time eat or drink, make sure the patient knows about the surgical procedure and consent form is signed. The patient had car vehicle accident that put her at worst neck pain. To correct neck pain and herniation of the disc patient underwent anterior cervical
fusion. Anterior cervical discectomy is an operation performed on the upper spine to relieve pressure on one or more nerve roots, or on the spinal cord. Neck and arm pain, among other symptoms, may occur when an intervertebral disc herniates. When a disc ruptures in the cervical spine, it puts pressure on one or more nerve roots or on the spinal cord. This pressure causes symptoms in the neck, arms, and even legs. Further pressure may be caused by rough edges of bone, called bone spurs, that naturally build up around some herniated discs. In this operation, the cervical spine is reached through a small incision in the front of the neck. After the soft tissues of the neck are separated, the intervertebral disc and bone spurs are removed. The space left between the vertebrae may be left open or filled with a small piece of bone. In time the vertebrae may fuse, or join together.
Procedure observed:
Time out: time out is performed before the surgery. Time out confirms the site, patient, surgery performed. Time out is done for the patient safety to make sure we have right patient in the room, right surgical site and right surgical procedure. All members of the surgical team participate and verbally acknowledge each component. The most interesting aspect of my experience is that in OR teamwork is crucial. You should have ability to work in a team in order to become OR nurse. There are some tasks that you cannot do by yourself you have to depend on the circulating nurse. For example if you’re scrubbed in, you can’t go get your supplies out of the other room, you have to depend on the circulating nurse. Also, in OR you can expect to work long hours. Although not all procedures are lengthy, many are. One should have good stamina and physical strength to work in OR. It is not uncommon for OR nurses to be on their feet for several hours during a surgical procedure.

I learnt in OR patient safety is most important. Maintaining sterile field sterile is not easy task. The more people in the room, the more likely you are going to have airborne contaminants because people are the most common cause of contamination in the environment that’s why everyone has to wear mask in the surgical room.

During OR I was with the scrub nurse Janelle. I learnt a lot from her and she explained me the procedure that is going on in the room. She answered all my questions. There are many things that I learnt from OR rotation and that I can apply toward my nursing practice such as aseptic and septic techniques, which I can apply to protect my patient and myself from infection.