Scrub nurse in the NHS, AMA

[ForBlueKoala]

I’m a scrub nurse in the NHS, regional hospital.

AMA

Do you know why they tape patients eyes/ eyelids shut ?

Stops them drying out and for protection I think

My mum died on the operating theatre and I was called.
More than once, to check if I was nearly there.
I got the impression that things were put on hold until I got there and I assume that other planned surgeries were delayed.
I've often wondered why they didn't move mum from the.operating table instead of waiting for me .

But wouldn't your eyes be shut while anesathised?

I’m sorry to hear that.

I’m lucky to not have witnessed many deaths but I know that relatives called to theatre will be able to say goodbye to them as staff then need to do last offices, I.e. preparing them for the morgue which they will then go to. Same would happen on the ward.
Patients get cancelled all the time in theatre, certainly where I work we wouldn’t be rushing to get the next patient done in the event of death.

When you’re anaesthetised, you don’t have the same muscle control as you do when you’re asleep, so your eyes might not close properly on their own. They are taped (and usually have ointment put in) to keep them from drying out and to stop any foreign bodies getting in.

Sorry to hijack OP! That’s the only thing I remember from my 12-week theatres placement…I hated it

What happens if you need a wee?

Thanks @WetBandits , interesting.

You wait til youre done. I tend to drink more when I know I don’t have to scrub or at end of the day.

I haven't scrubbed since I was a student nurse over 50 years ago - wondering if much has changed!

Do student nurses still retrieve the thrown swabs and hang them up for the all important count?

We hang swabs up but nobody throws them on the floor. If theyre dropped…yes

They were thrown into a receiver, not the floor, then we would pick them up with forceps and hang them up, then we would count them off every 10 swabs with the senior scrub nurse.

We normally keep them on trolley then circulator bags them up in 5s as we go along

Thanks for this AMA
Unfortunately im quite a frequent visitor for surgery. I sometimes want to send a gift like I do for the ward when it has been more serious surgery. who would I need to send it to for you and to get it - last time I said for pre and post op care but you are in theatres. I may not meet you but you are part of what keeps me alive and safe.

Would people like chocolate or biscuits or maybe something healthier like fruit?

I worked as a nurse in a day surgery unit. We were one of the first to offer laparoscopic cholecystectomy as a day case. I did the research on caring for these patients as a day case. I went on to have this exact procedure myself!

We generally prefer the unhealthier snacks but a mix is nice too (anything gets eaten).

I’d see if your Trust has a PALS department that can help or a charity office, however if you’re having surgery you’re able to give biscuits or chocs to us when we take you to theatre from the ward, that’s happened before too.

My friend recently had bowel surgery and something to do with a surgical part/instrument was left inside her. Apparently they tried to find it for ages but couldn’t find it.
Is that a very rare occurrence or quite common?

Thanks, the surgeries I’ve had recently are mixture of planned and urgent. I’ve given to a porter before and asked them to give the present.

this happened to my friends Dad when he was having bowel surgery. It was left inside of him and contributed to his death.

Not very common. We do counts of all instruments, swabs, sutures and needles before and during the surgery. If there’s discrepancy and the item isn’t located then the patient would be x-rayed in case it is inside.

When you don't feel like going to work do you ever sing that TLC song to yourself?

😆

Not promoting sending gifts as we get into trouble for that lol but to be honest (scrub nurse here too) the theatre staff are usually almost always forgotten about as we have the least amount of communication with the patient, but the most hands on once the operation begins. a lot of the time they have a general anaesthetic before coming to the main theatre. I work in obs and gynae. In Obs we get a little bit more thank you cards etc, and it is lovely to read some of them. In Gynae theatre we very rarely get a card or that as the patient has little idea of the team that is about to be helping and just see the surgeon after or if we speak to them when they are extubated they can’t remember it lol. In Obstetrics we now give little hand cards with the names of the theatre team for the baby memory books and we take photos and things now so our existence is noted a little bit more. But on the very rare occasion we get a pressie usually chocolates it is very well received by everyone hahaha. If I wanted a present to go to the scrub nurses specifically I would say to the theatre nursing team which would include the anaesthetic nurse too, I promise they will love it!! Haha

This is an interesting thread thank you.

Have you ever worked on any brain surgeries?

Obviously not promote irl, and I can’t do every time, and a lot of patients I’m sure would love to but can’t afford anything but thanks.

Ive been ENT, had my appendix out, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, a bowel thing not sure what that comes under? Luckily so far no gynae.