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Why are you here?
Guesf ediforiul
Why are you here? For too long,
I have remained silent in
replying to the questioned justification of the OR nurse. Too many times I have listened to a debate over the presence of R N s in an area which "requires trained clinicians only." There have been many articles in a variety of magazines on both sides of the fence, and to me, none has looked closely enough a t our role in tho operating rooms. Let me ask this: How many surgeons take time to teach a hospital employee the basics of why they must d o something? It has been my observation that in most cases, the surgeon arouses himself to teach in a trialby-fire manner. Even then he doesn't explain why something shouldn't b e done; he just says it shouldn't b e done. O n the other end of the line, there are surgeons who tell you everything from incision to closure, assuming you know exactly what they mean. Other surgeons maintain a silence which is not broken until one of us bolder ones asks a question. How many times have you been asked: "DO you really consider the patient or the operofion? Doesn't it just become routine to perform tasks and not think of the patient as an individual?" Okay, let's admit it, it does become a routine task, but contrary to many opinions, nurses do not become task-oriented machines. I like to think of the OR nurse, or any nurse for that matter, as a silent opportunist. I'm certain we'd all Royalene Thomas, R N , i s assistant supervisor
of
surgery a t St Mark's Hospital, Salt Lake City. Currently. president of A O R N of Northern Utah, she . was chapter secretary, vice-president and presidentelect.
30
be surprised to learn the amount of educational material that is available in the operating rooms by observation, direct question and even by absorption. All one needs to do i s be receptive and attentive. Have you worked with an anesthesiologist and suddenly noticed he's having a difficult time with the intubation of a patient? Before you know it, you're standing there assisting him, just as if you've been told what to do many times before. One has to be careful, though, because many times, no assistance i s better than distracting, unorganized assistance. The point is, you can learn by observation and be prepared when you are needed.
I was once present in an operating room when a cardiac arrest occurred. A student nurse had been assigned to that operating room for the day. During the life saving measures that were being taken, she was forgotten but she was observing all the time. Afterwards, she summed it up better than I could. She said, "I have never been so amazed in my training to see the real OR team working in perfect unison with hardly a word spoken. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to see professionals at work."
I believe she said it all. An operating room nurse can, and does, set the pace in the room she is assigned to. She's a walking (I hope rarely sitting) individual, always ready, always prepared. That's my justification for being a professional in the OR*
0
Royalene Thomas,
RN
AORN Journd
Why are you here? For too long,
I have remained silent in
replying to the questioned justification of the OR nurse. Too many times I have listened to a debate over the presence of R N s in an area which "requires trained clinicians only." There have been many articles in a variety of magazines on both sides of the fence, and to me, none has looked closely enough a t our role in tho operating rooms. Let me ask this: How many surgeons take time to teach a hospital employee the basics of why they must d o something? It has been my observation that in most cases, the surgeon arouses himself to teach in a trialby-fire manner. Even then he doesn't explain why something shouldn't b e done; he just says it shouldn't b e done. O n the other end of the line, there are surgeons who tell you everything from incision to closure, assuming you know exactly what they mean. Other surgeons maintain a silence which is not broken until one of us bolder ones asks a question. How many times have you been asked: "DO you really consider the patient or the operofion? Doesn't it just become routine to perform tasks and not think of the patient as an individual?" Okay, let's admit it, it does become a routine task, but contrary to many opinions, nurses do not become task-oriented machines. I like to think of the OR nurse, or any nurse for that matter, as a silent opportunist. I'm certain we'd all Royalene Thomas, R N , i s assistant supervisor
of
surgery a t St Mark's Hospital, Salt Lake City. Currently. president of A O R N of Northern Utah, she . was chapter secretary, vice-president and presidentelect.
30
be surprised to learn the amount of educational material that is available in the operating rooms by observation, direct question and even by absorption. All one needs to do i s be receptive and attentive. Have you worked with an anesthesiologist and suddenly noticed he's having a difficult time with the intubation of a patient? Before you know it, you're standing there assisting him, just as if you've been told what to do many times before. One has to be careful, though, because many times, no assistance i s better than distracting, unorganized assistance. The point is, you can learn by observation and be prepared when you are needed.
I was once present in an operating room when a cardiac arrest occurred. A student nurse had been assigned to that operating room for the day. During the life saving measures that were being taken, she was forgotten but she was observing all the time. Afterwards, she summed it up better than I could. She said, "I have never been so amazed in my training to see the real OR team working in perfect unison with hardly a word spoken. I'm thankful I had the opportunity to see professionals at work."
I believe she said it all. An operating room nurse can, and does, set the pace in the room she is assigned to. She's a walking (I hope rarely sitting) individual, always ready, always prepared. That's my justification for being a professional in the OR*
0
Royalene Thomas,
RN
AORN Journd