Outpatient Surgery Magazine, providing current information on Surgical Services, Surgical Facility Administration, Outpatient Surgery News and Trends, OR Excellence and more.
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OSE_1309_part3_Layout 1 9/6/13 12:21 PM Page 154 BEHIND CLOSED DOORS Paula Watkins, RN, CNOR The Paradox of Being an OR Nurse We have more than ever before, but are we really better off? I n my decades as an OR nurse, I've seen a lot of changes on the job. I can't always decide if I miss the good old days or appreciate what they've become. I miss thin patients, for example. They're an anomaly now. But I think we're better off not having to clean glass suction bottles, flash instruments or deal with cloth drapes. Still, some changes make me wonder if the new way is necessarily the better way. • State-of-the-art technology. It's often marketed as a time-saver, but it only creates more work. You need a degree in electrical engineering to connect the cords to and set the settings on these fussy machines. Surgeons who demand all the new gizmos don't always know how to get them started. It's up to the scrub tech and circulator to make the toys work. A warning: While I troubleshoot the medical technology, I'm the type who can't connect a DVD player to the TV without help from a youngster. • EMRs. Electronic medical records are another example of the way that technology has changed the practice of nursing. In the old days, we charted everything in one packet and still had time for the little interactions with our patients, like actually talking to them or holding their hands while they went under. Now we ask questions with our eyes on a screen and our backs to our patients. "Going paperless" was supposed to free up time, but we double-chart more than ever and still massacre trees with one form or another. • Accreditation. When the surveyors are coming, the place goes the usual crazy. An organization you paid money to is visiting to fine you for the way you've always been doing things. I can't help but think it's like paying someone to beat you up. Never will understand that kind of thinking. • Regulations. I hear that new regulations from a nursing organization 1 5 4 O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | S E P T E M B E R 2013