Week 2

To recap what I learned this week:

I can still scrub, gown and glove with ease...but the arms do need some conditioning.
I can still open sterile supplies with out contaminating the sterile field.
I still know my instrumentation, but I can still be surprised when someone calls a dressing forceps a Debakey forceps.
I like the new alcohol based scrub, but it will take some getting used to the process taking about 30 seconds!
I can drape a Mayo stand in about 2 seconds, without contaminating the drape, my gown or gloves. It can be fun to watch others struggle with this particular piece of equipment...but my demonstration helped many understand why they were struggling and it become easier for them.
I still remember how to load needles and blades, I still remember how to properly hand them to the surgeon. I will have to teach myself to not expect them to hand it back to me (MUCH safer!).
I enjoy scavenger hunts...but wish my companions would remain focused on the task.
I love the friendly helpfulness of my new coworkers!
Every OR has a fire extinguisher.
I am much more familiar with where all the OR rooms are.
I think the new building is supposed to be a smart building and has very few fire pulls.
Reading policies and procedures can be very educational, but I find much of the information the same as the previous places I have worked.
Tidbits of information from policies and procedures can complete that scavenger hunt!
I now have so many things hanging from my collar that I fear my shoulders will start hurting from the weight.
I learned a great deal from the breast surgeon who came in to talk about his specialty, why it's done, common causes for surgical intervention and why it is so important to keep the specimens labeled correctly. Don't guess!
I learned more about positioning for laparoscopic procedures.
I learned that I was hired about 1 month too late to be able to get tuition reimbursement for Fall quarter.
I learned the stairs from Tully's lead to another way into the locker room area.
I learned more about SCIP, SSI prevention, organ and tissue donation policies, medication and solution identification, pressure ulcer prevention, patient ID verification, latex allergies and back injury prevention.
I learned that my ability to stage a pressure ulcer is pretty good, especially considering that I have not had much experience in my practice.
I learned that I still hate the OR floor for it's hardness.
I learned that while I am uncomfortable setting up the sterile field for advanced surgical procedures for surgeons I have never worked for, I can still work off another's set-up and impress those who don't realize that this is not my first day of scrubbing.
I learned that I still like vascular surgery and find scrubbing a AAA exciting (especially since it is day 1 of scrubbing at this employment).
I still know that the OR is exactly where I should be as a nurse!