Which of the following are not members of the sterile team in the operating room except

Who will be in the operating room during your surgery?

Which of the following are not members of the sterile team in the operating room except

Which of the following are not members of the sterile team in the operating room except

Operating room personnel are key to the outcome of any surgery. It takes a team of doctors, nurses and OR staff working together and performing their individual roles to ensure the best outcome for the patient.

If you are preparing for surgery, you may wonder who these key players are and what roles each of them will play in your care. It’s likely at least one of each of these medical professionals will be in the OR during your surgery:

Surgeons

The surgeon is your primary doctor and considered the leader in the operating room. It is the responsibility of the surgeon to ensure the operation goes smoothly, with minimal complications. The surgeon directs all nurses and assistants in every step of the procedure while working closely with the anesthesiologist to manage the patient’s care and condition throughout the procedure. While some surgeries may require a team of surgeons, the standard surgical team is comprised of one surgeon and one resident surgeon.

Anesthesiologists

The anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist is responsible for managing the patient’s level of consciousness during the procedure. Along with your surgeon, you will meet your anesthesiologist/nurse anesthetist prior to surgery to discuss what sedative measures will be taken during your surgery. During this pre-op meeting, be sure to mention any allergies to medication you may have. Prior to surgery, you will be given anti-anxiety medication to relax you. Then the anesthesiologist/nurse anesthetist will induce sedation or apply local anesthetic, depending on the nature of the procedure. The anesthesiologist/nurse anesthetist is also responsible for monitoring and controlling the patient’s breathing during surgery.

Scrub Tech

Every surgery requires a team of two to four surgical techs to be present in the operating room during the procedure. The “scrub” tech wears a sterilized gown and gloves and is in charge of all the instruments that will be used during the procedure. He or she anticipates what tools and instruments the surgeon will need and passes those to the surgeon as requested. The scrub tech must also keep the surgical field organized and keep track of every piece of gauze and every instrument used during the operation.

Circulating Tech

This individual is not required to be scrubbed in and is able to move freely around the operating room to perform a variety of duties, including bringing the patient to the operating room, tying the surgical gowns of surgeons and other operating personnel, opening non-sterile outer wrappings of sterilized instruments and retrieving any additional supplies, including instruments and medication. This individual may also be responsible for any paperwork that must be completed by the operating room personnel.

Nurses

Registered nurses may also perform the duties of the surgical technicians, acting as the scrub nurse or circulating nurse. During some procedures, a nurse acts as the first assistant to the surgeon.

Students

In a teaching hospital, students may also be present in the operating room during your procedure. These may be medical students or nursing students and may assist the surgeon or nursing staff with simple tasks.

Each of these individuals plays a critical role in providing excellent patient care. Every person on the operating room team must know his or her duties and work together with other personnel to ensure a successful outcome for the patient.

Chapter 1. Infection Control

The operating room (OR) is a sterile, organized environment. As a health care provider, you may be required to enter the OR during a surgical procedure or to set up before a surgical procedure. It is important to understand how to enter an OR area and how the OR area functions to maintain an sterile environment.

Members of the surgical team work hard to coordinate their efforts to ensure the safety and care of their patients. The surgical team is in charge of the OR and makes decisions regarding patient care procedures. The OR environment has sterile and non-sterile areas, as well as sterile and non-sterile personnel. It is important to know who is sterile and who not, and which areas in the OR are sterile or non-sterile.

Sterile OR Personnel

  • Surgeon
  • Surgical assistant
  • Scrub nurse

Non-sterile OR Personnel

  • Anesthesiologist
  • Circulating nurse
  • Technologist, student, or observer

There are specific requirements for all health care professionals entering the OR to minimize the spread of microorganisms and maintain sterility of the OR environment. Prior to entering the OR, show your hospital-issued ID and inform the person in charge of the purpose of your visit. Refer to Checklist 10 for the specific steps to take before entering an OR.

Checklist 10: Entering the OR
Disclaimer: Always review and follow your hospital policy regarding this specific skill.

Steps

 Additional Information

1. Bring all required supplies to the OR. Sterilize or disinfect them as required. This step prevents the need to unnecessarily leave the restricted area.

Movement in the OR should be kept to a minimum to avoid contamination of sterile items or persons.

2. State the purpose of your visit to OR personnel and show your ID. This step allows for clear communication with the health care team.
3. Artificial nails should not be worn, and nail polish should be fresh (not more than four days old) and not chipped. Artificial nails, extenders, and chipped nail polish harbour more microorganisms than hands and can potentially contaminate the sterile area.
4. Remove all jewellery. Wedding bands may be permitted under agency policy. Jewellery harbours additional microorganisms and must be removed prior to a surgical hand scrub.
5. Don surgical attire (top and bottom). Surgical attire must be worn only in the surgical area. Tuck top into pants. Surgical attire must be worn only in the surgical area to avoid contamination outside the surgical area.
6. Cover shoes according to agency policy. Shoe covers will protect work shoes from accidental blood or body fluid spills in the OR. Shoe covers must not be worn outside the OR area.
7. Perform a surgical hand scrub according to agency policy. Surgical hand scrubs reduce the bacterial count on hands prior to applying sterile gloves. Hands are kept above waist at all times.
8. Prior to entering the restricted or semi-restricted area:
  1. Apply mask.
  2. Apply head covering to cover earrings, beard, and sideburns.
  3. Once in the OR, introduce yourself to the surgical staff and inquire about the sterile area and non-sterile areas.
Mask must cover nose, mouth, and chin for a proper seal. Mask should be changed if it becomes wet or soiled.

A surgical mask or N95 mask may be required, depending on whether the patient is on additional precautions.

Knowing what area is sterile/non-sterile will prevent accidental contamination of sterile fields and delays in surgery.

Sterile persons/area

The sterile field should be created as close as possible to the time of use. Covering sterile fields is not recommended.

Sterile areas should be continuously kept in view. An unguarded sterile field is considered contaminated.

Sterile persons should keep well within the sterile area. Sterile persons should pass each other back to back or front to front. A sterile person should face a sterile area to pass it and stay within the sterile field.

Non-sterile person/area

A non-sterile person should stay at least one foot away from the sterile field, and face the sterile field when passing it.

A non-sterile person should not walk between two sterile fields or reach over the sterile field.

Data source: Kennedy, 2013; ORNAC, 2011; Perry et al., 2014; Rothrock, 2014

  1. Why should the sterile field always be kept in sight by the scrub nurse or circulating nurse?
  2. Name three health care providers who are considered sterile in the OR area.

Which of the following is not a member of the sterile team?

4. Anesthesiologist. The anesthesiologist is a non-sterile member responsible for the patient's anesthesia during the surgery. This doctor administers the appropriate anesthesia and then remains by the patient's head, and monitors their vital signs (pulse, ECG, oxygen etc.).

Is the circulating nurse sterile?

A circulating nurse, on the other hand, is also called the “unsterile nurse” or “facilitating nurse”. They are called either of the above-mentioned names because they are the facilitators of sterility but are not actually sterile during the conduction of an operation/procedure.

Which member of the surgical team employs the use of nursing process?

The Operating Room Nurse performs perioperative nursing care and may act as scrub nurse or circulating nurse requiring thorough knowledge of instruments and apparatus used in all types of surgical procedures, the ability to work as a member of a surgical team, and familiarity with standard medical and nursing regimens ...

What is the role of circulating nurse?

Circulating nurses provide additional supplies and sterile instruments as needed during the operation and assist the other team members in monitoring the status of the patient or helping with the repositioning of the patient during the procedure.