Surgical Reflection

On my trip to the operation room, I observed a craniotomy. The purpose of the procedure was to remove a tumor from the left lower hemisphere of the brain in hopes that the removal of the tumor would fully restore the vestibulocochlear nerve which would intern restore hearing to the patient's left ear. Before the procedure had begun, the nurse and the surgical technician had started to prepare a sterile field for the equipment and a clean place for the patient to lay. Then the nurse had written on a whiteboard the allergic reactions of the patient and made sure that the Anesthesiologist knew them. Then the nurse and the Anesthesiologist went to the room to get the patient. They confirmed that it was the right patient and was handed a binder by the pre-operative nurse that contained all the patient information. Several days before the procedure the doctor orders a blood test a CT Brain scan, an X-ray, and an electrocardiogram. Once the patient was in the room, she had two IV’S stated in her left and right feet. She received gas anesthesia to
It showed me the importance of collaboration as well as communication. The O.R. nurse had to collaborate with the surgeon, the surgical technician, the anesthesiologist and other nurses for the procedure to be a success. The nurse also needed effective communication and understanding also to make the process run smooth and efficiently. Watching this in action, was a huge positive for me. Two negatives in the O.R. is what it does to the skills of a nurse over time and how cold the temperature is in the operating room. A nurse told me that she had to go back to the med surge floor to regain some of her skills. I believe a refresher course would help to keep the nurse's skill sets sharp. I am not very active when I am in the cold, so the temperature in the operating room made me want to huddle in the corner. I could not be productive in this work