My first Operating Room Experience...
My trip to the surgical hospital was one of the best mornings I’ve had as of late. Although it started off rather early for me, I got into the swing of things rather quickly and the morning seemed to just fly by. (I think it helped that my morning started with a GREAT breakfast J )
Cassie was great and let us pick our own partners and even choose the case we wanted to observe. Amy and I decided to partner up and we chose to watch a shoulder scope/possible rotator cuff repair. We preformed our medical hand wash, donned our mask and hair-catcher and booties, and were ushered in to the beautiful O.R. suite. Pictures really don’t do justice to describe the rooms…they really are just incredible. Everything is so NEW and state-of-the-art! Brooke was the circulator for O.R. #8 on Thursday and she was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met! She was the first person we were introduced to and to be honest, she’s the only person whose name I can remember because she was the only one who really took the time to help us learn about things and let us just follow her around and ask questions. The CST’s on the case were pretty friendly too and let Amy and help open up the room and open supplies and instruments onto the sterile fields. (We were a little nervous though and pretty much just gawked while they worked)
So after about 30 minutes after we walked into the suite, the anesthetist announced that the patient was on her way in to the room. We smashed ourselves against the wall to not be in the way and watched in awe as a real person was wheeled into the O.R. (I guess the most surprising thing to me was the fact that she was awake and talking! I don’t know what I was expecting but I sure didn’t think it would be that.) Anyway, Brooke helped position her and started asking her random questions while the anesthetist was masking her to help her stay comfortable and not notice that she was starting to drift. As soon as she was asleep, they in abated her and began the prepping process. Everything started to move much faster and she was soon ready for the surgeon.
As soon as Dr. Clare stepped in to the room the whole atmosphere changed. He was definitely not the “happy” doctor and everyone really quieted down and didn’t say much throughout the whole procedure. (His PA Steve was really friendly though and kept talking to everyone throughout the case and that helped a lot) He began placing trocars and then placed the endoscope in to the patients shoulder joint. We were able to watch everything with a flat screen T.V. about a foot from us and it was INCREDIBLE!!! We of coarse had no idea what we were looking at so as soon as Cassie came back in the room we bombarded her with questions until we were satisfied that we knew at least one thing that we were looking at on the screen. The procedure was over as quick as it started it seemed and the room started to be turned over as soon as the patient was wheeled back to PACU. I think I was most amazed by the fact that everyone was just whisking about from surgery to mopping and prepping the room again without a break or stopping. It was all so efficient and neat…I just loved it!
All of sudden, they were ready for the next patient again and this procedure was the same as the first but with an older lady who’d already had a rotator cuff repair and was having pain again. It was the same surgical team and the whole process began again just as smoothly as the first time. The neatest thing about this surgery however was the fact that he actually had to repair this woman’s rotator cuff because the previous anchors had given out. It was hands-down one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen to watch him tie suture in knots and make everything look so simple while doing it all endoscopic. This surgery too was soon finished and suddenly most of the morning was gone.
We decided to peak in on our last surgery in Dr. Hurlbut’s O.R. were he was performing a trigger release surgery on a man’s middle finger. The atmosphere in his O.R. was much lighter and more enjoyable! Everything from his music to his CST’s, to the RN’s…everyone was in a good mood and enjoying their work together. They allowed us to watch at a closer distance and it was amazing to see an open procedure being preformed in such close proximity. Our time was up before the case was done and I was somewhat reluctant to leave the hospital. (However, my legs and back were killing me so I was also relieved to get to sit down for the fist time in over 6 hours J )
Overall, my first real experience of the O.R. was unbelievable. I know now without a doubt that this is the job for me. Not only was I amazed by the surgeries, but I was so excited to experience the atmosphere of the O.R. and get a feel for what the people will be like as well. It was just as fantastic as I hoped it would be. I can’t wait to start our clinicals and be in the O.R.’s for good!
Guten Tag!!!
Cassie was great and let us pick our own partners and even choose the case we wanted to observe. Amy and I decided to partner up and we chose to watch a shoulder scope/possible rotator cuff repair. We preformed our medical hand wash, donned our mask and hair-catcher and booties, and were ushered in to the beautiful O.R. suite. Pictures really don’t do justice to describe the rooms…they really are just incredible. Everything is so NEW and state-of-the-art! Brooke was the circulator for O.R. #8 on Thursday and she was one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met! She was the first person we were introduced to and to be honest, she’s the only person whose name I can remember because she was the only one who really took the time to help us learn about things and let us just follow her around and ask questions. The CST’s on the case were pretty friendly too and let Amy and help open up the room and open supplies and instruments onto the sterile fields. (We were a little nervous though and pretty much just gawked while they worked)
So after about 30 minutes after we walked into the suite, the anesthetist announced that the patient was on her way in to the room. We smashed ourselves against the wall to not be in the way and watched in awe as a real person was wheeled into the O.R. (I guess the most surprising thing to me was the fact that she was awake and talking! I don’t know what I was expecting but I sure didn’t think it would be that.) Anyway, Brooke helped position her and started asking her random questions while the anesthetist was masking her to help her stay comfortable and not notice that she was starting to drift. As soon as she was asleep, they in abated her and began the prepping process. Everything started to move much faster and she was soon ready for the surgeon.
As soon as Dr. Clare stepped in to the room the whole atmosphere changed. He was definitely not the “happy” doctor and everyone really quieted down and didn’t say much throughout the whole procedure. (His PA Steve was really friendly though and kept talking to everyone throughout the case and that helped a lot) He began placing trocars and then placed the endoscope in to the patients shoulder joint. We were able to watch everything with a flat screen T.V. about a foot from us and it was INCREDIBLE!!! We of coarse had no idea what we were looking at so as soon as Cassie came back in the room we bombarded her with questions until we were satisfied that we knew at least one thing that we were looking at on the screen. The procedure was over as quick as it started it seemed and the room started to be turned over as soon as the patient was wheeled back to PACU. I think I was most amazed by the fact that everyone was just whisking about from surgery to mopping and prepping the room again without a break or stopping. It was all so efficient and neat…I just loved it!
All of sudden, they were ready for the next patient again and this procedure was the same as the first but with an older lady who’d already had a rotator cuff repair and was having pain again. It was the same surgical team and the whole process began again just as smoothly as the first time. The neatest thing about this surgery however was the fact that he actually had to repair this woman’s rotator cuff because the previous anchors had given out. It was hands-down one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen to watch him tie suture in knots and make everything look so simple while doing it all endoscopic. This surgery too was soon finished and suddenly most of the morning was gone.
We decided to peak in on our last surgery in Dr. Hurlbut’s O.R. were he was performing a trigger release surgery on a man’s middle finger. The atmosphere in his O.R. was much lighter and more enjoyable! Everything from his music to his CST’s, to the RN’s…everyone was in a good mood and enjoying their work together. They allowed us to watch at a closer distance and it was amazing to see an open procedure being preformed in such close proximity. Our time was up before the case was done and I was somewhat reluctant to leave the hospital. (However, my legs and back were killing me so I was also relieved to get to sit down for the fist time in over 6 hours J )
Overall, my first real experience of the O.R. was unbelievable. I know now without a doubt that this is the job for me. Not only was I amazed by the surgeries, but I was so excited to experience the atmosphere of the O.R. and get a feel for what the people will be like as well. It was just as fantastic as I hoped it would be. I can’t wait to start our clinicals and be in the O.R.’s for good!
Guten Tag!!!
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