Preparing A Sterile Field Essay

This paper will explore the role of the surgical technologist as the first scrub. It will discuss the education and training needed for this profession. Furthermore, the paper will look at the career advancement and opportunities to specialize that the surgical technologist can explore with more schooling and experience. There are different work environments available for this occupation and I will mention a few of them. Equally as important, I will examine some of the different surgical specialties and give examples of operating procedures that the surgical technologist will use to help the surgical team perform the operations. I was able to find the information contained in this paper using two publications found on the Internet

In 2003, as an outcome of all the sentinel events reported to the Joint commission lead to the creation of the “The Universal protocol for preventing wrong site, wrong procedures, and wrong person surgery” (Mulloy & Hughes 2008). So, one of the ways that could have potentially prevented the situation from happening at the first place was implementing the universal protocol procedure. According to the protocol the conduction of proper pre as well as post-operating procedures are extremely mandatory. Therefore, by enforcing a standardized routine pre-operating procedure such as verifying the patient as well as the correct site for the procedure, by having the medical staff or preferably the physician marking the operating site with his or her initials before the surgery will be an effective preventive measure (Mulloy & Hughes 2008).

Perioperative pressure area care is an essential part of the health care team’s perioperative management of the surgical patient. Advancements in clinical assessment, surgical positioning equiptment and standards of practice are essential in providing the highest level of patient centred care throughout the patient’s perioperative experience. Understanding and critically evaluating the advancements in current literature and clinical practice provide the perioperative nurse with the knowledge and skills required to provide holistic patient centred care for the surgical patient. This essay looks to explore and evaluate perioperative pressure area management, planning, assessment and prevention by surveying the available current literature and standards of practice.

Surgical Technologists have an important role in the operation room (OR). There are different positions within the Surgical Technology field, including Scrub Surgical Technologist, Circulating Surgical Technologist, and Second Assisting Technologist. Scrub Surgical Technologists have a number of tasks, including prepping the patient for surgery, sterilizing the OR, gown and glove surgeons and assistants, and assists the surgeon and other surgical team members in a number of ways, such as passing instruments and dressing wounds. Circulating Surgical Technologists have a number of tasks as well, including checking patient’s charts, identifying patient and verifying the surgery that will be performed with consent forms, assisting anesthesia

It was not until the development of safe blood transfusions and antibiotics such as penicillin in the early 1940s that surgery became relatively safe.” (R Cooter, 1993, L Davis, 1955, J Duffin, H Ellis, 2001, J Le Fanu, 1999, S H Greenblatt, 1997, R Holmes, 2002, L Klenerman, 2002, C Lawrence, 1992, T Treasure, 2003, R Porter, 1997, F G Slaughter,

Conversely, the How to Guide: Five Steps to Safer Surgery is an adjunct to the World Health Organization (WHO), Safe Surgery Saves Lives: The Second Global Patient Safety Challenge. In this, the primary goal is to confirm that surgical teams not only communicate, but follow safety standards in order to minimize common mistakes and insure the best outcome for surgical patients. The standards included in this literature emphasize, “improving anesthetic safety practices, ensuring surgery is undertaken on the correct part of the body, preventing surgical site infections, and improving communication and teamwork” (Beaumont & Russell, 2012). The actual checklist consists of the following 5-step process:

Surgical Asepsis is the absence of all microorganisms within an invasive procedure. It includes, sterile technique, which is a specific set of practices, procedures to make equipment, instruments, and the surgical environment free from all microorganisms. Surgical asepsis relates to surgical technologist because their responsibility is to practice aseptic technique by remaining sterile and maintaining a sterile environment during a procedure. https://opentextbc.ca/clinicalskills/chapter/surgical-asepsis/.

According to the Hospital National Patient Safety Goals, Goal 7 is to reduce the risk of health-care associated infections. NPSG.07.0.01 deals with surgical-site infections. The question to be asked is, “Why are surgical site infections a problem?” The prevention of surgical site infections can occur before and during surgery, with certain actions of the nurse, and when the patient is healthy. One way surgical site infections can occur is during surgery, or intra-operation. Sources of bacteria, exogenously, include the airborne route as a significant source of infection. Endogenously, infections can occur from the normal flora of a patient (Edmiston & Spencer, 2014a). Surgical site infections are a problem intra-operatively because of operating room temperatures not being controlled, misuse of sterile procedure, and improper hand hygiene. Operating room temperatures should be kept between 68 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit or 20 to 24 degrees Celsius. There also needs to be positive

Not all surgical procedures are the same, each procedure necessitates very specific skills, expertise, knowledge, and

Hart (2004) states the principle of Aseptic Technique is to prevent the spread of micro organisms to wounds and to protects the nurse and patient from healthcare-associated infections (HCIA). The technique used for less invasive procedures such as intravenous drugs and wound care is the Aseptic No-touch Technique (ANTT) (Pratt et al 2007).

Therefore, one of the most important aspects of surgical asepsis is that the effectiveness depends on faithful and conscientious practice by those carrying them out. It is far better to err on the side of safety when using surgical asepsis than to take the slightest chance of possible contamination.

This policy sets out guidelines for the staff to help ensure that the workplace is up to a high standard when it comes to a safe and healthy environment. The employees of the surgery have a responsibility to follow these health and safety rules while at work. This policy is set in place to ensure that staff and patients are in safe premises and are surrounded by safe equipment. The transport, use, storage and handling of substances must be safe and done with care. These duties include each member of staff taking responsibility of their own health and safety as well as other people who may be affected by their actions or errors, staff must not intentionally or recklessly misuse or interfere with anything that is provided in the interests of health and safety at work, all members of staff are required to report any hazard or unsafe working practice in the surgery and to take appropriate action to make the situation safe if possible, also they must report any accident or incident that they are involved in to their supervisor or manager and complete an incident form in detail.

At least half a million deaths per year could be prevented with effective implementation of systemic improvements in operating rooms. Specifically, multiple studies have found implementing the use of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist would significantly reduce surgical morbidity and mortality due to surgical errors.

Surgical site infections are considered preventable. Because such infections are considered preventable, there are legal consequences directly connected to such a condition. In this paper, I will discuss what an SSI is and the reasons on why it is considered to be preventable. I will also discuss the role of disclosure and legal implications that are related to SSIs, accreditation expectations, and continuous quality monitoring as it relates to SSIs.

Those who incorporate the best practice standards can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with surgical site infections.