Lmao this is very accurate brotha. Mine has to be when the Doc ask for a quick turn over and your just standing there scrubbed in waiting on them to come in and the patient is already sleeping and draped.
My biggest pet peeves are finding the wrong suture in a different box. Asking for my nurse for an item and brings one into the room and then drops it and has to run and get another one. I was taught to ALWAYS bring two (just in case you drop the first one). A HUGE pet peeve is when a new employee responds " I KNOW " to everything you are explaining to them. Also when the nurse sits down to chart and doesn't hook up the bovie, suction, or turn on the lights. Or when the circulator doesn't get a warm blanket immediately when the patient comes into the room. Or when someone comes into the room with their mask hanging around their neck and not put on appropriately when surgery is going on. Also when someone enters the room through main door instead of the inner core door. As for the people that take 1 hour lunches (the repeat offenders), I make sure that they go last to eat. Most of these things are pointed at newer people... or the younger generation coming in to the OR and are in love with their phones and computer work, before common sense and patient care.
Big D No - you know what? We had an Ortho that did! Great surgeon and super fun to work with. I’ve found him mopping the floor and helping the orderlies before. Rare breed. I’d bend over backwards for him because he’d do the same for us!
My top 10 The nurse leaving the room during the case for items you already pulled and are in the room. Cords under the mayo stand, so you cant push the mayo stand over the field. When you are counting sponges the correct way and the nurse changes the numbers to count above 5 for laps and above 10 for rays. Finding the hair on your field after you almost finish your setup. Suture in the wrong box. The surgeon requesting something no one has heard of and not using it once it is finally found. Someone shaking a garbage open with a open sterile field Someone contaminating your setup after a neck dissection before the patient leaves the room because the patient is undraped, or everyone removes their mask while you still have a sterile set up. Anesthesia acting like they all have sterile breath and never donning a mask while your case is being set up. Moving the trash can while Im setting up.
Here's an annoyance of mine: doing a case after lunch under fluoro where the room is really dark, and you're wearing lead, and you just ate. And everything in your body is screaming "GO TAKE A NAP!" but you can't.
I went through the door of forgetfulness, looked around, and said, "why am I here?" A nurse who was in there with me said, "to help the sick people." True, but not helpful. Warm is better for the client.
gotta say BEST thing i have seen for new surgical techs... Washington state ( Olympic Peninsula) 30 plus years here.... so happy to see and hear you taking the time to explaine, well just about anything and everything.... I will say to new students.... 1. Time and experience are great teachers 2. ALWAYS admit if you dont know or when wrong and move forward in a positive way 3. No question is a stupid question ( just appropritate times) 😉 LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this! might have to come out of retirement to come to NV to work!
Your videos are so helpful! I love how you film them in the hospital you work in and give us little tours of all the different parts of the floor! You do a great job with these and you're so chill. You seem like a great surgical tech! I was a CNA for two years and am going to start school to be a scrub tech this fall. 🙌🏼
😷 I was a tech for 17 years mostly trauma never had a problem with the lights but I hated not being in a room when I went back to days they expected you to be super tech and have everything done, after so many years I learned to ignore my itches I'm now retired and I still miss it. Thx for a stroll down memory lane 🤗
I remember the supervisor coming in my room one night and politely asking the surgeon how much longer. (We had a long lineup that evening and she was juggling cases around to rooms that would open up soonest) He got a twinkle in his eye then answered in his soft southern drawl, "Well, I'm going as fast and sloppy as I can" LOL!! I never forgot that!
I just found your channel and I already love it. As a chronically ill patient who's in and out of healthcare settings all the time, it's nice to see "behind the scenes." The last time I was wheeled into an OR the surgical tech must have won the thermostat battle because it was FRIGID. (I didn't mind, though. They wheeled me in and moved me on to the table, then I was lying there chatting with the techs and then the next thing I knew I woke up in Recovery!)
One massive pet peeve is definitely during my surgeries. I’ll be just finishing up my operation, and i’ll ask one of my residents to take lead in suturing, and they just stand there as if they don’t know what to do. They just stand there as if they haven’t done it a million and one times. A second pet peeve is when i’m meeting with a patient after a surgery, and my residents come in after me. It’s okay to come in, but it gets to the point where there will be 4 residents behind me, and the patient is becoming worried, and paranoid that something went wrong, or something happened during surgery, etc. I or at most one resident should accompany the patient after the surgery. Lastly, when i’m say, doing a cholecystectomy, and i’m removing the gallbladder, I always, and I mean always ask the residents to dissect the gallbladder and inspect the stones, making sure there are no cancerous masses. After asking them, I usually point to who I want to dissect it while the other residents assist me, and or take vitals. They will always fight over the lead to dissect, and i’m always having to make sure they are ok with the decision which is time consuming.
Funny about the temperature wars. In my facility it's always a fight between Anesthesia and the surgeon. Surgeon wants it cooler, Anesthesia wants it cranked up - even with a Bair Hugger on the patient, but especially if the BH can't be used. To be fair, hypothermia in the patient creates problems with the coagulation cascade - something you don't want when you're cutting into someone, hence Anesthesia's insistence on a warmer room - that one or two degree seems meaningless to a layperson - or even many medical personnel, but it's very real to that mostly naked person lying motionless and asleep. Even a mild lowering of body temp increases blood loss significantly. For that reason 99% of the time the surgeon is happy to comply because it's in the patient's best interest even though s/he's miserable, but there is always one who argues about it or bitches the entire time.
xyntrk, yes, the war is ongoing with anesthesia! It always depends on the CRNA or ologist too. It's a rare case that we couldn't get a Bair Hugger on the patient. We compromised at 68 degrees unless it's a child.
We used to do mostly combat trauma and there was frequently no place to put a BH (or a bovie pad for that matter) and the heat in the room would be cranked up to max, everyone would be soaked in sweat within minutes, it was worse if you had to wear lead, it was just miserable. But to be fair, those times, nobody bitched, we just endured it. It would be a lame individual whining about being hot when some guy just lost body parts. No idea why, but it feels okay to bitch when it's a gallbaldder or appendix, not so much when it's an IED blast. First world problems, puts it in perspective, that's for sure.
1. Big cases first thing in the morning. 2. Losing a small suture needle 3. Wrong preference cards because the OR never had that case before. 4. When someone contaminates a microscope during the case. 5. Loud music and mumbling surgeons 6. Circulators that leave the room for a long time and come back with the wrong thing. 7. Right after you open a big case and scrub in and they ask, "how much time do you need"? 8. Unnecessarily picky surgeons. 9. Country, rap or reggaton music 10. Scrubbing in and forgetting lead
Big pet peeve of mine, when the nurses disregard every request you have because they feel like you don't need something. I just laugh when the doctor turns around and asks for whatever it was and I get the opportunity to say, "I asked for it, but my nurse wouldn't open it."
How is a nurse going to tell you no when you ask them for something?? That's not there decision to make... and if you don't have that thing the surgeon will look at you like your unprepared
(As a circulator) when the surgeon/first assist throws sterile towels/plastic peels from drapes on the floor when I'm literally standing next to them with my hand outstretched to take their trash. Or when a million people come in at once to "help" right before the patient goes to sleep and four people are trying to put an SCD on the patient's leg. But my BIGGEST pet peeve is after I use alcohol prep on the patient's skin, and clearly state the exact time when the patient can be draped, but the surgeon refuses to look at the clock and asks every five seconds, "is it time yet?"
Hey, so Iv bin out of school for about 7 years and just found a job. Your vids helped me brush up on everything really quick. Very informative keep it up, thank you so much for your vids.
I agree with all of your pet peeves, especially the long breaks!!! My biggest pet peeve is that everything in the OR has either cords or wheels or both, and cords don’t mix well with wheels!! They stop wheels cold in their tracks!!
Julie Webber, sometimes the temp can't be turned down. Anesthesia has to keep the patient's temp at least 97, if I remember correctly. When we roll the pt to PACU, one of the 1st things the nurse there will do is check temp. It was one of those study thingees the brass chose for a committee to monitor at my hospital. I would get so hot sometimes and of course we have to wear a scrub jacket to cover our arms. We compromised with the anesthesia dept to keep the room temp at 68 degrees.
My biggest pet peeve, is when spd sends up a set with the most important instrument missing. Like basically you cannot do the case without the instrument. ( Hysteroscopy), no vag speculum in the set, like seriously...
Assistants/residents/students scrubbing in late while you're draping with the doc, or when one of them reaches over your back table for a gown. I'm pretty fast but sometimes if I'm on the feild helping the doc and I am not able to get there it drives me nuts. When a surgeon wants 20 residents/students to scrub in, in the middle of a trauma. I hate people reaching for instruments on my mayo, especially if doc didn't request it.
The room temp thing is real, I was shadowing and the tech was pregnant that OR was so cold I was shivering. I go into the OR next door for a case and luckily warm up, I’m usually okay with cold temps but it was so cold.
When the nurse walks out of the room just as you're scrubbing in and doesn't tie you up or you need something and you have to call your nurse's name several times to get their attention because they are too busy on facebook.
I really like your videos. As a nurse, I have wondered why I have always gotten an attitude from techs, when I am in the role of circulator. I find this animosity is not good. The patients safety is number one. We should be working as a team, not throwing the nurse under the bus....I ask that you help with strategies that will increase team work to benefit all involved, such as increased communication between tech and nurse. The roles are different, yet equally important. Thanks again.
I'm a nurse in the OR and I do some of those things you mentioned ... LOL The reason why the trash can is close to the arm-board is usually at the end of the case for the drapes to be placed right into the trash. So sorry ... I usually put it back near my CST at the end of the case after I have used it.
I'm a nurse, but I scrub sometimes, too. After the scrub positions the back table, then I pull up the kick bucket. Then I put the regular trash can and red trash can on the other side of the back table.
Hi I have watched a many of your videos They are AWESOME!!! When I was younger I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field but life got in the way. Now that I'm ready to get back in business I believe that surgical technician or surgical assistant would be a perfect match for me. Only question I have is how old is too old to become a surgical tech or surgical assistant. Can you maybe do a video on the pros and cons of older surgical techs and surgical assistants? Thank you.
This was interesting and rather unsettling...what he is describing is no safer than a construction site! From elec cords to having to open a new box of something while in the middle of a task, to walking back to the truck to get something and forgetting what it was you went for, to even the itchy nose when you can't scratch it! Work is work, and every day is a Monday...!
Lol I hate the garbage can being taken away so on occasion, (older experienced nurses) I will throw it all on the bed and when they ask me "why." I say my garbage can was taken away ...the other thing I will do is when they scrub in and are in the scrub role I move it away and wait for their reaction lol 😂😂😂😂
Open door is proven crossing threshold drops memory because your eyes are preventing a fall not memory. Suture boxes are told to be kept closed because someone took the whole other box and there will be more open boxes not used it will throw off inventory. The room is to be warmer because anesthesia makes the nurse turn it up or they do because the temp of patient is too low.
Now that I’ve been in clinicals for almost 3 months, I can relate to this video soo much 🤣 the cords drive me nuts, I still struggle throwing them off and keeping them organized
I trice in 85- 109 Alice energetic day Cold is death. If you like cold, every human can function at a neutral 73. Patient's temp silk lower due to passivity.
Your circulator can, and will scratch your nose! Place your glasses on right...grab your phone out of your back scrub pocket when it goes off...Dr. has an appointment at 3p.m., and he is watching the clock, hilarious!! We do not take breaks...trying to go pee is miraculous! Love this video!
Lead, clean supplies, positioning devices put on my dirty case cart. I turn around still gowned and gloved to bring my dirty trays to the cart, and it's full of clean supplies! 😡😡
one thing i cannot stand is when people will put any hard huge pieces of plastic or other packaging say from a laparoscopic stapler and they just toss it in the trash. my hospital doesn't have the most sturdy bags so it never fails to slash thorough and destroy the bag lmao
In Finland we are all nurses in the OR, but my biggest pet peeve is when I am working with a circulator that has many, many, maaaany years of experience more than I do and then she decides for me what instruments and equipment I need. It doesn't matter if I have done the case a lot of times or just a few times. I pick up the bovie that sucks up the smoke at the same time, and then the circulator goes to fetch me a normal one. I appreciate advice and I take it, but when I KNOW what equipement to use and what I want, I hate it. We do not have preference cards, it's all in our heads.
miikaelas --- we don't have normal preference cards either.. the techs made up a binder of what the cases need and what a specific surgeon need for those cases... since I started I added a lot to that and being that we also have to pick for all the cases that book helps me alot
There's a line of surgery for same procedure, surgeon is late then demands to hurry up like first case 8am then would start 10am they would say to the patient to be there at 6am then next surgeon arrives on time. Last minute change ups with needs on surgery like instruments when beforehand asked what is needed for surgery.
c coop yes lol that happened to me last month, as well. luckily we caught that and no trays fell off. it was a setup for a tibial fracture, lotsa screws that couldve fallen..... lol
Jade Green, oh that could have been a mess with screws everywhere! I don't remember what I had on the table. I saw the wheel rolling, so I held it up until someone put it back in place. I do remember a friend telling me she had a small frag tray sitting on the basin in the ringstand and somehow it slid off and screws were everywhere! Doc wasn't too happy after he stopped laughing.
c coop oh no that mustve been so much fun to clean up! lol i know ive dropped a tray from a ringstand when i was bringing it into the "clean room" for SPD that was just a delight lol
Jade Green, with those hard floors, stuff can roll for miles it seems. Just a suture needle will travel far. I know I've been on my hands and knees searching for one. It always seemed to be a small one, too. There's never a dull moment. I miss it, just not the call.
I had one who did that and I just stopped catching them and when he ran out of small stats he had to use kellys I worked nights and there wasn't extra help to run a get a new instrument tray so that ended his throwing and when I went to days I never had the problem I would give them a count down of how many they had left of each one they threw
I've worked with two surgeons who threw scalpels in anger...still have scar on my left hand where one with dirty 11 mounted got me. Both mercifully retired now.
HAAHAA!! OMG!! I laughed so hard when you were talking about the temperature war!!! I don't know yet how it is in the Operating room BUT let me tell you, it is a constant BATTLE on the floor I work on...its the top floor so the heat rises to that floor anyway but the Nurses are ALWAYS cold!!! and I am always HOT!! LOL...we have maintenance on speed dial to come fix it usually for them.... but I have my little fan going or a big floor fan if its super hot....I just thought it was funny because it is always the nurses that are cold....WHY? WHY?....heehee....thanks for sharing, I enjoyed this one!!! Amy C.
I'm with c oop, temp discussions were alwats anesthesia vs everyone else. All of the nurses I've worked with (sans one) only know one setting one the thermostat... DOWN. And that single one I was referring to only made remarks about being cold, but would never dare attempt to raise the temp. Where is this nurses are ALWAYS cold rumor coming from?!
You know what really grinds my gears? When I go to open a labeled instrument container that contains the wrong item! Even with the use of CensiTrac, SP still finds a way to screw me!
The temperature is important! Patients under anaesthesia become poikilothermic - their body temperature will depended on the environmental temperature.
When you think you won't need that extra tray you opened or drape so you throw it off your sterile field and come to find out you will urgently need it during the case since you got rid of it lol
How about during a busy day, and at the end of a case and you need to clean the room, and the nurse never comes back from dropping the patient off? (Worked at a sugery center btw so I was in charge of cleaning the room with the nurse)
1. Relieving someone at the end of their shift and they have opened 10x the amount of instrumentation than was needed and now you have to navigate through all the mess.2. Having to bail out a "traveling tech" out of a simple case situation, when they are making way more money than you. Grrrr!
My pet peeve...a non sterile circulator who is useless because they can’t find anything unexpected that I may need in the middle of a case, which makes me...the sterile assistant, have to inform, go find (right in its designated storage spot) then have to scrub back in....or a new unsterile staff member who can figure out how to operate or set up a piece of equipment...this leaving me to unscrub, yet again...I worked in a surgery center, not a hospital main or...although we did the trauma cases in the main or....most of my pet peeves were in the surgery center...and can totally relate to the temperature situation....luckily my surgeons must have gone through “man”ipause at the same time...because they all like ms it cold...thus, ending the temp wars. My big pet peeve was working with Drs taller than me....so i would spend hours at a time in a tiny step stool (surgery 1st assist).
One of my pet peeves is what I consider a technique break--opening suture or other small sterile items onto the Mayo stand. If there is a screwup , my primary instruments are contaminated.
Funny. A few of those wouldn't have occurred to me. Some of mine: Shirts that aren't tucked into scrub pants; wearing a mask in the OR after the outside has touched your skin; exposed hair; No shoe covers (yes, I know the "justifications"); "Flipping" any supplies onto the sterile field; Reusing skin knives (hard to believe that happens); Unnecessary conversation in the OR; Anyone entering the OR without complete hair covering and clean mask...including the patient; Careless contamination of pre-op prepped and draped areas; Squared gauze on prep "sticks" when 45 deg. works so much better (but I can live with that one); Touching even prepped skin when it can possibly be avoided (think iodine-impregnated incise barriers) Guess I should stop.
I had a c section and it was an emergency the anesthesia doctor had on street clothes and no shoes covers, he allowed me to lay in my vomit. It was mercy medical in Baltimore. I will never forget.
Biggest pet peeve is when I'm the scrub nurse and my circulating nurse and the unscrubbed resident fights over the damn music to play. The next biggest is when someone plays classical music during a long case. That's a good way to make sure I fall alseep.
Excellent service for the patients and the staff you deal with.. Might u be able to do video in the future regarding what items the sterile room holds? (or a brief run down) if there are video on about sterile sutures, or should that be sterile stitches as we say here in Eire and UK, hie come no video about sterile gloves?
Lunches at really inappropriate times are a pet peeve. When the OR nurse leaves before helping set up a specific case for a particular surgeon, or doesn't give good instructions to the nurse giving her lunch or when they leave after a case but right before wheeling the patient back and signing them out in the PACU (especially a difficult long case who might have a complication in PACU) it's just an unsafe/terrible idea. You can wait. Seriously. If you don't eat lunch that day it wouldn't kill you. The patient, the surgeon (and residents) we work with more than likely didn't have lunch that day or breakfast that morning. Keep in mind, the entirety of your day is literally the easiest part of theirs
YES! 1.What is it with that trashcan??? They're not helping by "moving it out of the way". There is SO much more trash when than outside wrappers when setting up!! 2. I just nod vigorously and act like it's all urgent when a surgeon says "We need fast turnovers today" cause they have to be at xyz other hospitals four cases at such-and-such time. Like my freaking turnover timeis going to make the difference between his next case taking 2 hrs or 4. 🙄 3. The lunch thing annoys me so much!! Especially when you're given 4+ and then told that you need to permanently relieve someone or be ready for a case at a certain time. I'm not one to fuss about an extra 5 min, but it's annoying as f*** when people get back to the room after 45 min and they're like "I wasn't feeling well" or "I had to make a phone call" and it's like dude, your lunch break was for eating lunch. Who magically gets sick then better while on their break?! 🤨 And if a phone call takes that long, sorry, you've got to hang up. You are obligated to be at work. You need a reprieve, speak to the charge, because putting the burden on your lunch relief is a shitty thing to do.
As a circulating nurse, I have most of the same pet peeves. A for the temperature of the room😷, it's freezing away from the lights and the patient is exposed. My pet peeve is counting. It is very important to account for items. I hate when the surgical tech doesn't separate the sponges on count and I have to insist on proper technique which, some how, makes me the b#@&$. Ugh!
Ugh I had a hurry up day today, the circulator was standing at my table asking for counts before I even had my back table pack open. The surgeon complains about turnover time to the circulator and so he takes it out on me because he can't get the patient until we count.... eye roll!!
Julie Webber, see what you just wrote? You wrote the doc complained to the circulator. We always get the flak from the docs. I have had to almost physically drag my crew into the room to get ready. Some techs don't want to scrub too early. With the patient in the room, I have lots to do. Half the time, an ologist isn't present, so I have to help the CRNA. I can handle a small count, but if it's a case with a lot of extras to count, that's a no go for me. I scrubbed a lot, too over the years.
That's funny you say "the circulator was standing at my table asking for counts before I even had my back table pack open" If the nurse wants to count and you're not even open, why can't the nurse help you open, so you can get things done quicker. Seems like there's a non-team player where you work. If the nurse is in such a big hurry to count, you can always tell them to open up for you, while you scrub... Teamwork! We are all in this together. And if the surgeons gives you sh!t, you can always tell him to get a mop and help. It's never failed with me. If they don't like the advice I give them, then they can leave me alone or help.
scrubtek75, you're right, the nurse can help open. Sometimes the charge desk is rushing me to get the patient on the table, but not give another person to help. I always loved when they would decide at zero hour to flip flop a surgeon in 2 rooms!
Oh how I chuckled. I’m especially familiar with the “hurry hurry!” And our supervisor was just as bad. Hurry, hurry! Faster, faster!! We had a GYN who was known for this. Many dreaded working for him. I once got a call at home in the evening for an emergency c-section but I wasn’t on call. They got clearance for me to do it and the circulator warned that surgeon that I was coming in and he’d better not rush me! Funny thing, he never ever rushed me again. :p. Other pet peeves - gravity. It works better in an OR than anywhere!! (Ps - have you tried the “bending slightly and scratching your nose against a cabinet handle, wall, whatever you can find trick?)
I have been scrubbing for 27 years and everything you have said is 100 percent true.
Me, a graphic designer/illustrator watching this video: “Ah yes, very relatable”
Surgeons with horrendous sterile technique
Then they yell at you for being messy
@@Maaalllzzzyyy lol I was gonna say….then they blame you for their stuff when it’s clearly them lol
Lmao this is very accurate brotha. Mine has to be when the Doc ask for a quick turn over and your just standing there scrubbed in waiting on them to come in and the patient is already sleeping and draped.
Yup. Been there. Done that. 😂
My biggest pet peeves are finding the wrong suture in a different box. Asking for my nurse for an item and brings one into the room and then drops it and has to run and get another one. I was taught to ALWAYS bring two (just in case you drop the first one). A HUGE pet peeve is when a new employee responds " I KNOW " to everything you are explaining to them. Also when the nurse sits down to chart and doesn't hook up the bovie, suction, or turn on the lights. Or when the circulator doesn't get a warm blanket immediately when the patient comes into the room. Or when someone comes into the room with their mask hanging around their neck and not put on appropriately when surgery is going on. Also when someone enters the room through main door instead of the inner core door. As for the people that take 1 hour lunches (the repeat offenders), I make sure that they go last to eat. Most of these things are pointed at newer people... or the younger generation coming in to the OR and are in love with their phones and computer work, before common sense and patient care.
scrubtek75 👍
When the surgeon tells me to hurry I tell them to stay and help. So it will go even faster. None of them stay to help.
Ha you have a lot of don't likes.
Big D No - you know what? We had an Ortho that did! Great surgeon and super fun to work with. I’ve found him mopping the floor and helping the orderlies before. Rare breed. I’d bend over backwards for him because he’d do the same for us!
@@MichaeleL3 That's awesome
My top 10
The nurse leaving the room during the case for items you already pulled and are in the room.
Cords under the mayo stand, so you cant push the mayo stand over the field.
When you are counting sponges the correct way and the nurse changes the numbers to count above 5 for laps and above 10 for rays.
Finding the hair on your field after you almost finish your setup.
Suture in the wrong box.
The surgeon requesting something no one has heard of and not using it once it is finally found.
Someone shaking a garbage open with a open sterile field
Someone contaminating your setup after a neck dissection before the patient leaves the room because the patient is undraped, or everyone removes their mask while you still have a sterile set up.
Anesthesia acting like they all have sterile breath and never donning a mask while your case is being set up.
Moving the trash can while Im setting up.
Here's an annoyance of mine: doing a case after lunch under fluoro where the room is really dark, and you're wearing lead, and you just ate. And everything in your body is screaming "GO TAKE A NAP!" but you can't.
😂😂😂
Ugggh Yes, I want to doze off when the lights are dim every time.
Or you have to poop! lol
some diets make you feel like that...treat yourself later for a good meal after it all over..eat healthy - lighter....super funny video...
1armedgal 😂
I went through the door of forgetfulness, looked around, and said, "why am I here?" A nurse who was in there with me said, "to help the sick people." True, but not helpful. Warm is better for the client.
gotta say BEST thing i have seen for new surgical techs... Washington state ( Olympic Peninsula) 30 plus years here.... so happy to see and hear you taking the time to explaine, well just about anything and everything.... I will say to new students....
1. Time and experience are great teachers
2. ALWAYS admit if you dont know or when wrong and move forward in a positive way
3. No question is a stupid question ( just appropritate times) 😉
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!
might have to come out of retirement to come to NV to work!
Your videos are so helpful! I love how you film them in the hospital you work in and give us little tours of all the different parts of the floor! You do a great job with these and you're so chill. You seem like a great surgical tech! I was a CNA for two years and am going to start school to be a scrub tech this fall. 🙌🏼
When someone you’ve never seen before comes in the room and asks if you have their gloves! Seriously!
Hahahaha. I always look at them and say "who's this guy? thinks I have his gloves"
Yes!!!! Yet as students we were always taught to pull our own stuff.
Yes! Why the hell would I have your gloves
😷 I was a tech for 17 years mostly trauma never had a problem with the lights but I hated not being in a room when I went back to days they expected you to be super tech and have everything done, after so many years I learned to ignore my itches I'm now retired and I still miss it. Thx for a stroll down memory lane 🤗
I remember the supervisor coming in my room one night and politely asking the surgeon how much longer. (We had a long lineup that evening and she was juggling cases around to rooms that would open up soonest) He got a twinkle in his eye then answered in his soft southern drawl, "Well, I'm going as fast and sloppy as I can" LOL!! I never forgot that!
When you're on a "hurry up" list BECAUSE the surgeon turned up an hour late, then they start shouting as if it's the OR team's fault.
danng that sounds rough ; - ;
I just found your channel and I already love it. As a chronically ill patient who's in and out of healthcare settings all the time, it's nice to see "behind the scenes." The last time I was wheeled into an OR the surgical tech must have won the thermostat battle because it was FRIGID. (I didn't mind, though. They wheeled me in and moved me on to the table, then I was lying there chatting with the techs and then the next thing I knew I woke up in Recovery!)
One massive pet peeve is definitely during my surgeries. I’ll be just finishing up my operation, and i’ll ask one of my residents to take lead in suturing, and they just stand there as if they don’t know what to do. They just stand there as if they haven’t done it a million and one times. A second pet peeve is when i’m meeting with a patient after a surgery, and my residents come in after me. It’s okay to come in, but it gets to the point where there will be 4 residents behind me, and the patient is becoming worried, and paranoid that something went wrong, or something happened during surgery, etc. I or at most one resident should accompany the patient after the surgery. Lastly, when i’m say, doing a cholecystectomy, and i’m removing the gallbladder, I always, and I mean always ask the residents to dissect the gallbladder and inspect the stones, making sure there are no cancerous masses. After asking them, I usually point to who I want to dissect it while the other residents assist me, and or take vitals. They will always fight over the lead to dissect, and i’m always having to make sure they are ok with the decision which is time consuming.
I’m a General Surgeon by the way!
Dr. Fozilov M.D. lucky I’m only 13 but I want to be a surgeon so bad!!
"We call it... the trip no mo"
I’m finally in the surgical technology program at my school. My first lab was yesterday. It was fun even though I was hella nervous
Brianca how is it going for you? I start surgical tech program in a couple weeks and I’m hella nervous lol
Funny about the temperature wars. In my facility it's always a fight between Anesthesia and the surgeon. Surgeon wants it cooler, Anesthesia wants it cranked up - even with a Bair Hugger on the patient, but especially if the BH can't be used. To be fair, hypothermia in the patient creates problems with the coagulation cascade - something you don't want when you're cutting into someone, hence Anesthesia's insistence on a warmer room - that one or two degree seems meaningless to a layperson - or even many medical personnel, but it's very real to that mostly naked person lying motionless and asleep. Even a mild lowering of body temp increases blood loss significantly. For that reason 99% of the time the surgeon is happy to comply because it's in the patient's best interest even though s/he's miserable, but there is always one who argues about it or bitches the entire time.
xyntrk, yes, the war is ongoing with anesthesia! It always depends on the CRNA or ologist too. It's a rare case that we couldn't get a Bair Hugger on the patient. We compromised at 68 degrees unless it's a child.
We used to do mostly combat trauma and there was frequently no place to put a BH (or a bovie pad for that matter) and the heat in the room would be cranked up to max, everyone would be soaked in sweat within minutes, it was worse if you had to wear lead, it was just miserable. But to be fair, those times, nobody bitched, we just endured it. It would be a lame individual whining about being hot when some guy just lost body parts. No idea why, but it feels okay to bitch when it's a gallbaldder or appendix, not so much when it's an IED blast. First world problems, puts it in perspective, that's for sure.
xyntrk, you're right, a trauma is a whole other matter. Thank goodness I never saw the cases you did. A couple of our CRNAs were deployed frequently.
wow! Really appreciated your brilliant opinion. Thanks!
I don't even work in the OR at all but this is still funny (:
I'm not even in the medical field and this is funny as freaking heck!
1. Big cases first thing in the morning.
2. Losing a small suture needle
3. Wrong preference cards because the OR never had that case before.
4. When someone contaminates a microscope during the case.
5. Loud music and mumbling surgeons
6. Circulators that leave the room for a long time and come back with the wrong thing.
7. Right after you open a big case and scrub in and they ask, "how much time do you need"?
8. Unnecessarily picky surgeons.
9. Country, rap or reggaton music
10. Scrubbing in and forgetting lead
Big pet peeve of mine, when the nurses disregard every request you have because they feel like you don't need something. I just laugh when the doctor turns around and asks for whatever it was and I get the opportunity to say, "I asked for it, but my nurse wouldn't open it."
How is a nurse going to tell you no when you ask them for something?? That's not there decision to make... and if you don't have that thing the surgeon will look at you like your unprepared
Are you new and annoying and ask for needless crap all the time?
(As a circulator) when the surgeon/first assist throws sterile towels/plastic peels from drapes on the floor when I'm literally standing next to them with my hand outstretched to take their trash.
Or when a million people come in at once to "help" right before the patient goes to sleep and four people are trying to put an SCD on the patient's leg.
But my BIGGEST pet peeve is after I use alcohol prep on the patient's skin, and clearly state the exact time when the patient can be draped, but the surgeon refuses to look at the clock and asks every five seconds, "is it time yet?"
Hey, so Iv bin out of school for about 7 years and just found a job. Your vids helped me brush up on everything really quick. Very informative keep it up, thank you so much for your vids.
I agree with all of your pet peeves, especially the long breaks!!! My biggest pet peeve is that everything in the OR has either cords or wheels or both, and cords don’t mix well with wheels!! They stop wheels cold in their tracks!!
That was great! Funny thing is, I’m just a CST student but I’ve already experienced several of your pet peeves. The trash can one especially. 😆
Stephanie Lake same here! I'm about to graduate in May and I definitely can't stand the room temp being turned up and how the trashcan disappears.
Julie Webber, sometimes the temp can't be turned down. Anesthesia has to keep the patient's temp at least 97, if I remember correctly. When we roll the pt to PACU, one of the 1st things the nurse there will do is check temp. It was one of those study thingees the brass chose for a committee to monitor at my hospital. I would get so hot sometimes and of course we have to wear a scrub jacket to cover our arms. We compromised with the anesthesia dept to keep the room temp at 68 degrees.
Unopened boxes of sutures arghh! lol great video, everything so accurate 😂 love from a theatre scrub nurse in the UK 💋
My biggest pet peeve, is when spd sends up a set with the most important instrument missing. Like basically you cannot do the case without the instrument. ( Hysteroscopy), no vag speculum in the set, like seriously...
Assistants/residents/students scrubbing in late while you're draping with the doc, or when one of them reaches over your back table for a gown. I'm pretty fast but sometimes if I'm on the feild helping the doc and I am not able to get there it drives me nuts. When a surgeon wants 20 residents/students to scrub in, in the middle of a trauma. I hate people reaching for instruments on my mayo, especially if doc didn't request it.
The room temp thing is real, I was shadowing and the tech was pregnant that OR was so cold I was shivering. I go into the OR next door for a case and luckily warm up, I’m usually okay with cold temps but it was so cold.
Yes! The migrating trash can is irritating. I sometimes have to kick it back near me or just create a big pile somewhere on my back table of trash.
When the nurse walks out of the room just as you're scrubbing in and doesn't tie you up or you need something and you have to call your nurse's name several times to get their attention because they are too busy on facebook.
I really like your videos. As a nurse, I have wondered why I have always gotten an attitude from techs, when I am in the role of circulator. I find this animosity is not good. The patients safety is number one. We should be working as a team, not throwing the nurse under the bus....I ask that you help with strategies that will increase team work to benefit all involved, such as increased communication between tech and nurse. The roles are different, yet equally important. Thanks again.
Nice words! A fellow circulator. I scrubbed, too. Open communication is paramount.
I'm a nurse in the OR and I do some of those things you mentioned ... LOL The reason why the trash can is close to the arm-board is usually at the end of the case for the drapes to be placed right into the trash. So sorry ... I usually put it back near my CST at the end of the case after I have used it.
Lol
I'm a nurse, but I scrub sometimes, too. After the scrub positions the back table, then I pull up the kick bucket. Then I put the regular trash can and red trash can on the other side of the back table.
When I had to break those who were good at the long lunch break I always relieved them last.
If you're doing hearts, the temp of the room is only one thing- frigid! And then try tying when you're hands are in a chest filled with ice.
That’s the best part about the heart room! I wish ortho rooms were still that cold!!
Hi I have watched a many of your videos They are AWESOME!!! When I was younger I wanted to pursue a career in the medical field but life got in the way. Now that I'm ready to get back in business I believe that surgical technician or surgical assistant would be a perfect match for me. Only question I have is how old is too old to become a surgical tech or surgical assistant. Can you maybe do a video on the pros and cons of older surgical techs and surgical assistants? Thank you.
I don’t know why I’m watching this but I find it so entertaining and informative 😅
This was interesting and rather unsettling...what he is describing is no safer than a construction site! From elec cords to having to open a new box of something while in the middle of a task, to walking back to the truck to get something and forgetting what it was you went for, to even the itchy nose when you can't scratch it! Work is work, and every day is a Monday...!
Lol I hate the garbage can being taken away so on occasion, (older experienced nurses) I will throw it all on the bed and when they ask me "why." I say my garbage can was taken away ...the other thing I will do is when they scrub in and are in the scrub role I move it away and wait for their reaction lol 😂😂😂😂
My pet peeve is when you are just now putting your garb on and the nurse is like "you ready to count?" 🙄
Your pet peeve #1 is an actual medical condition. It is called "Archway Amnesia" haha.
I am a surgical tech in Switzerland. And i can relate sooo much!! 😂
The trip no mo 😂 this video is one of my favs
Open door is proven crossing threshold drops memory because your eyes are preventing a fall not memory.
Suture boxes are told to be kept closed because someone took the whole other box and there will be more open boxes not used it will throw off inventory.
The room is to be warmer because anesthesia makes the nurse turn it up or they do because the temp of patient is too low.
I’m a central sterile tech. Cool to see some of the other side of things
Everything about this video is so true!! 😂😂
Now that I’ve been in clinicals for almost 3 months, I can relate to this video soo much 🤣 the cords drive me nuts, I still struggle throwing them off and keeping them organized
I trice in 85- 109 Alice energetic day Cold is death. If you like cold, every human can function at a neutral 73. Patient's temp silk lower due to passivity.
Your circulator can, and will scratch your nose! Place your glasses on right...grab your phone out of your back scrub pocket when it goes off...Dr. has an appointment at 3p.m., and he is watching the clock, hilarious!! We do not take breaks...trying to go pee is miraculous! Love this video!
I just love your honesty.
Lead, clean supplies, positioning devices put on my dirty case cart. I turn around still gowned and gloved to bring my dirty trays to the cart, and it's full of clean supplies! 😡😡
one thing i cannot stand is when people will put any hard huge pieces of plastic or other packaging say from a laparoscopic stapler and they just toss it in the trash. my hospital doesn't have the most sturdy bags so it never fails to slash thorough and destroy the bag lmao
New subscriber. Love the videos. Great information thanks.
The trash can had me dying! Haha!
In Finland we are all nurses in the OR, but my biggest pet peeve is when I am working with a circulator that has many, many, maaaany years of experience more than I do and then she decides for me what instruments and equipment I need. It doesn't matter if I have done the case a lot of times or just a few times. I pick up the bovie that sucks up the smoke at the same time, and then the circulator goes to fetch me a normal one. I appreciate advice and I take it, but when I KNOW what equipement to use and what I want, I hate it. We do not have preference cards, it's all in our heads.
No preference cards 😱
Medical care in the US has gone to pot. All about establishments making money and not about the patient. My pet peeve is scrubs, CRNAs, CNAS.
FL DP, what is your peeve with them?
miikaelas --- we don't have normal preference cards either.. the techs made up a binder of what the cases need and what a specific surgeon need for those cases... since I started I added a lot to that and being that we also have to pick for all the cases that book helps me alot
There's a line of surgery for same procedure, surgeon is late then demands to hurry up like first case 8am then would start 10am they would say to the patient to be there at 6am then next surgeon arrives on time.
Last minute change ups with needs on surgery like instruments when beforehand asked what is needed for surgery.
The 1st and 2nd PP is on the money. Especially the suture box.
i wish i could apply in that hospital as a theatre nurse
omg all of these. especially trying to drag the mayo and back table only to run over the damn cords lmao
Jade Green, and I have picked up an end of my table to go over a cord and the damned wheel falls out!
c coop yes lol that happened to me last month, as well. luckily we caught that and no trays fell off. it was a setup for a tibial fracture, lotsa screws that couldve fallen..... lol
Jade Green, oh that could have been a mess with screws everywhere! I don't remember what I had on the table. I saw the wheel rolling, so I held it up until someone put it back in place. I do remember a friend telling me she had a small frag tray sitting on the basin in the ringstand and somehow it slid off and screws were everywhere! Doc wasn't too happy after he stopped laughing.
c coop oh no that mustve been so much fun to clean up! lol i know ive dropped a tray from a ringstand when i was bringing it into the "clean room" for SPD that was just a delight lol
Jade Green, with those hard floors, stuff can roll for miles it seems. Just a suture needle will travel far. I know I've been on my hands and knees searching for one. It always seemed to be a small one, too. There's never a dull moment. I miss it, just not the call.
This is funny cause I’ll be going in for surgery soon so I’ll be looking for as many of these pet peeves as I can before they knock me out 😂
I absolutely love this channel! Thanks for all the wonderful videos
Long breaks? HAH! They just leave me hanging until my shift is up. 😕
How about the surgeon throwing instruments.!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had one who did that and I just stopped catching them and when he ran out of small stats he had to use kellys I worked nights and there wasn't extra help to run a get a new instrument tray so that ended his throwing and when I went to days I never had the problem I would give them a count down of how many they had left of each one they threw
Edythe Stovall i will remember this tip if I encounter this problem with surgeons 😂
I've worked with two surgeons who threw scalpels in anger...still have scar on my left hand where one with dirty 11 mounted got me. Both mercifully retired now.
Lisa Emmerson oh my 😳
@@lisaemmerson5257 did the surgeon suffer any consequence for doing that?
Hands down your funniest video!! Thanks for sharing all your experience.
HAAHAA!! OMG!! I laughed so hard when you were talking about the temperature war!!! I don't know yet how it is in the Operating room BUT let me tell you, it is a constant BATTLE on the floor I work on...its the top floor so the heat rises to that floor anyway but the Nurses are ALWAYS cold!!! and I am always HOT!! LOL...we have maintenance on speed dial to come fix it usually for them.... but I have my little fan going or a big floor fan if its super hot....I just thought it was funny because it is always the nurses that are cold....WHY? WHY?....heehee....thanks for sharing, I enjoyed this one!!! Amy C.
Amy Camburn, where I worked, the temp war was with anesthesia! I was a hot-natured RN! When you're constantly running, how could anyone be cold?
Same battles at home between women and men.
Fyi patients freeze in the OR prior to being sedated in case you were wondering.
Amy Camburn you have a floor fan in the or ??
I'm with c oop, temp discussions were alwats anesthesia vs everyone else. All of the nurses I've worked with (sans one) only know one setting one the thermostat... DOWN. And that single one I was referring to only made remarks about being cold, but would never dare attempt to raise the temp. Where is this nurses are ALWAYS cold rumor coming from?!
@@southface8838 no, we can't have a floor fan in the OR, you don't want to have air blowing around in an OR when there is a procedure going on...
This was good very informative! Tfs
pet peeve of mine. Scrub students who think they know more than you because they use to work on the floor as a CNA
Cant relate
You know what really grinds my gears? When I go to open a labeled instrument container that contains the wrong item! Even with the use of CensiTrac, SP still finds a way to screw me!
Are you a surgeon!!?
@@funnyknights8905 Surgeons don't open the instruments
The temperature is important!
Patients under anaesthesia become poikilothermic - their body temperature will depended on the environmental temperature.
When you think you won't need that extra tray you opened or drape so you throw it off your sterile field and come to find out you will urgently need it during the case since you got rid of it lol
That's when you learn the hard way to NEVER hand anything off, once it's open on the field.
scrubtek75, truth!
the "trip no mo" lol
How about during a busy day, and at the end of a case and you need to clean the room, and the nurse never comes back from dropping the patient off? (Worked at a sugery center btw so I was in charge of cleaning the room with the nurse)
1. Relieving someone at the end of their shift and they have opened 10x the amount of instrumentation than was needed and now you have to navigate through all the mess.2. Having to bail out a "traveling tech" out of a simple case situation, when they are making way more money than you. Grrrr!
Or you go to lunch for 45 minutes and return to a wrong, uncounted set up.🤨Grrrr
On point with these
"Come on Dude" hehehe
"Can I get a kick bucket?"... every d@mn case.
"Please don't put that trash can so close to my back table." ... every d@mn case.
My pet peeve...a non sterile circulator who is useless because they can’t find anything unexpected that I may need in the middle of a case, which makes me...the sterile assistant, have to inform, go find (right in its designated storage spot) then have to scrub back in....or a new unsterile staff member who can figure out how to operate or set up a piece of equipment...this leaving me to unscrub, yet again...I worked in a surgery center, not a hospital main or...although we did the trauma cases in the main or....most of my pet peeves were in the surgery center...and can totally relate to the temperature situation....luckily my surgeons must have gone through “man”ipause at the same time...because they all like ms it cold...thus, ending the temp wars. My big pet peeve was working with Drs taller than me....so i would spend hours at a time in a tiny step stool (surgery 1st assist).
One of my pet peeves is what I consider a technique break--opening suture or other small sterile items onto the Mayo stand. If there is a screwup , my primary instruments are contaminated.
Hey the door of forgetfulness could be anesthetic leaking from the machine because minor exposure to gas anasthetic
Funny. A few of those wouldn't have occurred to me. Some of mine: Shirts that aren't tucked into scrub pants; wearing a mask in the OR after the outside has touched your skin; exposed hair; No shoe covers (yes, I know the "justifications"); "Flipping" any supplies onto the sterile field; Reusing skin knives (hard to believe that happens); Unnecessary conversation in the OR; Anyone entering the OR without complete hair covering and clean mask...including the patient; Careless contamination of pre-op prepped and draped areas; Squared gauze on prep "sticks" when 45 deg. works so much better (but I can live with that one); Touching even prepped skin when it can possibly be avoided (think iodine-impregnated incise barriers) Guess I should stop.
I had a c section and it was an emergency the anesthesia doctor had on street clothes and no shoes covers, he allowed me to lay in my vomit. It was mercy medical in Baltimore. I will never forget.
You sound like a joy to work with.
thank u fir this👍👍👍👍👍 keep safe 🙏🏼
Biggest pet peeve is when I'm the scrub nurse and my circulating nurse and the unscrubbed resident fights over the damn music to play. The next biggest is when someone plays classical music during a long case. That's a good way to make sure I fall alseep.
Seems like the Nurse and the Tech have this big battle against each other.
Omg this vid really took home. Thanks shawn.
Its shane, but close!
to be honest, you are like a wholesome discount John Krasinski, not a bad thing at all
Excellent service for the patients and the staff you deal with..
Might u be able to do video in the future regarding what items the sterile room holds? (or a brief run down) if there are video on about sterile sutures, or should that be sterile stitches as we say here in Eire and UK, hie come no video about sterile gloves?
Lunches at really inappropriate times are a pet peeve. When the OR nurse leaves before helping set up a specific case for a particular surgeon, or doesn't give good instructions to the nurse giving her lunch or when they leave after a case but right before wheeling the patient back and signing them out in the PACU (especially a difficult long case who might have a complication in PACU) it's just an unsafe/terrible idea. You can wait. Seriously. If you don't eat lunch that day it wouldn't kill you. The patient, the surgeon (and residents) we work with more than likely didn't have lunch that day or breakfast that morning. Keep in mind, the entirety of your day is literally the easiest part of theirs
YES! 1.What is it with that trashcan??? They're not helping by "moving it out of the way". There is SO much more trash when than outside wrappers when setting up!!
2. I just nod vigorously and act like it's all urgent when a surgeon says "We need fast turnovers today" cause they have to be at xyz other hospitals four cases at such-and-such time. Like
my freaking turnover timeis going to make the difference between his next case taking 2 hrs or 4. 🙄
3. The lunch thing annoys me so much!! Especially when you're given 4+ and then told that you need to permanently relieve someone or be ready for a case at a certain time. I'm not one to fuss about an extra 5 min, but it's annoying as f*** when people get back to the room after 45 min and they're like "I wasn't feeling well" or "I had to make a phone call" and it's like dude, your lunch break was for eating lunch. Who magically gets sick then better while on their break?! 🤨 And if a phone call takes that long, sorry, you've got to hang up. You are obligated to be at work. You need a reprieve, speak to the charge, because putting the burden on your lunch relief is a shitty thing to do.
The door of forgetfulness is also called threshold amnesia
As a circulating nurse, I have most of the same pet peeves. A for the temperature of the room😷, it's freezing away from the lights and the patient is exposed.
My pet peeve is counting. It is very important to account for items. I hate when the surgical tech doesn't separate the sponges on count and I have to insist on proper technique which, some how, makes me the b#@&$. Ugh!
Ugh I had a hurry up day today, the circulator was standing at my table asking for counts before I even had my back table pack open. The surgeon complains about turnover time to the circulator and so he takes it out on me because he can't get the patient until we count.... eye roll!!
Julie Webber, see what you just wrote? You wrote the doc complained to the circulator. We always get the flak from the docs. I have had to almost physically drag my crew into the room to get ready. Some techs don't want to scrub too early. With the patient in the room, I have lots to do. Half the time, an ologist isn't present, so I have to help the CRNA. I can handle a small count, but if it's a case with a lot of extras to count, that's a no go for me. I scrubbed a lot, too over the years.
That's funny you say "the circulator was standing at my table asking for counts before I even had my back table pack open" If the nurse wants to count and you're not even open, why can't the nurse help you open, so you can get things done quicker. Seems like there's a non-team player where you work. If the nurse is in such a big hurry to count, you can always tell them to open up for you, while you scrub... Teamwork! We are all in this together. And if the surgeons gives you sh!t, you can always tell him to get a mop and help. It's never failed with me. If they don't like the advice I give them, then they can leave me alone or help.
scrubtek75, you're right, the nurse can help open. Sometimes the charge desk is rushing me to get the patient on the table, but not give another person to help. I always loved when they would decide at zero hour to flip flop a surgeon in 2 rooms!
Yup, thats when you wish you could turn around and say if you had shit to do today than why did you schedule 10 fucking cases!?
Light handle to the head has been the worst thing ever
Is it just me or does that suture room look exactly like the one at LRMC (landstuhl regional medical center)! Great video
Wow! Great videos....this one especially made me laugh! Especially the door of forgetfulness! Thanks for all you do!
Man I hope when I have surgery I have a goodlooking man like you in the OR
Auburn Tigazs lol you’ll come in and we introduce ourselves to you and that’s all you see of us usually (:
Oh how I chuckled. I’m especially familiar with the “hurry hurry!” And our supervisor was just as bad. Hurry, hurry! Faster, faster!! We had a GYN who was known for this. Many dreaded working for him. I once got a call at home in the evening for an emergency c-section but I wasn’t on call. They got clearance for me to do it and the circulator warned that surgeon that I was coming in and he’d better not rush me! Funny thing, he never ever rushed me again. :p. Other pet peeves - gravity. It works better in an OR than anywhere!! (Ps - have you tried the “bending slightly and scratching your nose against a cabinet handle, wall, whatever you can find trick?)
Who knew there were so manu sutures to choose from. How many does 1 packet do? How do you decide??
Hi, i have a question, the tech can replace other tech in the surgery?
Or...when lay-up instruments for a left...and they change list order at last minute and it becomes right. WHY WAS I THE LAST TO KNOW???