1. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF HEALTH CARE TEAM
Who do each of these characters represent?
Anesthesia and Anesthesiologist
Surgeon
Charge Nurse
Housekeeping
Scheduling
Who else is part of the Perioperative Team?
X-ray
Lab including Pathology
Blood Bank
Anes. Tech
RN Circulator
Scrub
PACU (post anesthesia Care Unit)
Residents
Pharmacy
Equipment Tech
Turnover Team
SPD
Vendors/Reps
Describe the roles and responsibilities of other health care team members

2. Roles and Responsibilities
Define Health Care team
Read Job Descriptions
Know what role each member plays at your facility
Goals of this presentation…

3. The Surgical Team
For every patient who comes to our OR, a team of little as 4 to as high as 6 to 7 highly trained professionals with a wide range of specialties is present to offer more comprehensive care. There may be more members to a team, depending on the complexity of the operation.
A team of highly trained professionals with a wide range of specialties who is present to offer comprehensive patient care.

4. Role of the Circulator Video
Must be an RN
Plans patient care
Communicates patient’s needs to the health care team
Manager of the Operating Room Suite, the “Watch dog”
The circulator must be a registered nurse.
As stated in the video:
The first perioperative nurses participated in the Crimean War dealing mostly with cleanliness and the comfort of the patient.
In the 19th century the OR environment changed due to:
Control of bleeding
Sterile vs non-sterile fields
2 roles were developed-the sterile instrument nurse and the circulating nurse
Are the voice for the pt. Pt. advocate. This role is the most important one to me. You are the eyes, ears and voice for the patient.

5. Role of Scrub Person Video
Is scrubbed in at the field
Set up sterile supplies and instrumentation
Assist the surgeon as needed during the operative procedure
Performs all needed counts with the circulating nurse
Knowledge of aseptic technique
A surgical technician. He or she knows aseptic technique, instruments and details of surgical procedures. He/she prepares the sterile field and passes instruments to the surgeon.
Surgical Technologist CANNOT manipulate tissue, cut, sew, cauterize etc.
This person can be a scrub tech, certified or not, trained on the job or went to a surgical tech school, RN or LPN. There is no surgical tech school in Alaska. Economically better to pay a scrub tech wage vs. an RN wage.
They can make or break your day….. Story time

6. Role of the Surgeon Video.
Requests the surgery
Provides consent and history and physical
Communicates exact procedure, operative side and any special needs prior to surgical case.
Assists in positioning patient
Performs surgical procedure
A surgeon, who after graduating from medical school has gone through years of residency training in his specialty area. Most surgeons have spent another 2-3 years of fellowship to be trained in a more specific areas within their specialty, i.e. An orthopedic surgeon specialized in shoulder or knee surgeries.
Remember, the surgeon is the only one who knows exactly what the planned procedure will be or completed. Never be afraid to ask questions or clarify.

7. Role of the First Assistant/Resident Video.
Surgeon, Physicians Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, CRNFA
Have completed extended training.
Assist the surgeon in manipulating tissue and wound closure.
An assistant who can be either another surgeon, a physician’s assistant, P.A.., trained after 2 years of special PA school to assist in surgery, a nurse practitioner who is also trained to assist after his/her specialty education, or a Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA.) Assistants are involved in performing surgery through close cooperation with your surgeon

8. Role of the Anesthesiologist/CRNA Video
Assesses patient’s risk for receiving anesthesia
Assesses need for appropriate anesthetic during the surgical procedure
Communicates equipment needs to the Anesthesia tech or circulating nurse
An anesthesiologist who upon graduating from medical school has undergone 3-4 years of residency training in the field of anesthesiology. Many anesthesiologists have a few more years of training to learn a subspecialty within the anesthesia specialty; like pain management, regional blocks, cardiac, pediatrics, etc.
A CRNA is a registered nurse, with 2 years critical care experience, then takes a 2 year CRNA course. They are supervised under an MD but perform almost all of the same duties.
An Anesthesia MD supervises up to 3 CRNAS at a time….
They administer anesthesia and maintain the anesthesia until procedure is over

9. Role of the Anesthesia Technician Video
Knowledge of equipment used by the Anesthesiologist
Assists with the set-up of equipment , medications and supplies and clean-up in assigned operating rooms
May assist Anesthesia Provider during induction of anesthesia
An anesthesia technician, trained to provide technical support to the anesthesiologist. He or she prepares the needed supplies for anesthesia and may assist the anesthesiologist at the time of induction and throughout the operation.
In surgery, much like airplane travel, the takeoff and landing (or induction and emergence) are 2 critical times during any operation.
Not all facilities have anesthesia techs, not in Fairbanks. Circs do it all, or the Anesthesia drs. Do it for themselves.

10. Role of the Surgery Assistant/Medical Assistant/Hospital Assistant Video
Some ordering and stocking of supplies
Assist with room turnover and related housekeeping
Assist the nurse in patient care activities
Transportation of patients
A surgery assistant, OR assistant, trained to perform some duties in the OR. He/she is in charge of a lot of behind-the-scenes work, such as housekeeping,transportation, pickups and deliveries.
Check with your facility regarding this job classification and name

11. Role of Charge Nurse Video
Facilitates staffing needs
Role model and clinical resource
Facilitates communication within the health care team
Organizes patient assignments to give optimum care
Usually a senior member of the OR team.
Handles the schedule and staffing.
Books add ons, emergencies.
In close communication with Anesthesia with regards to changes in their schedule, OPS, PACU, the floors etc

12. Role of the Health Unit Coordinator Video
Direct telephone calls
Communicate information to health care team
Order supplies and forms
Schedule cases
Other names: Pt Service Coordinator, Unit Secretary, Unit Clerk, Surgery Scheduler

13. Additional Roles Equipment Technician: Video OR Manager: Video
SPD Technician: Video Part 1
Part 2 Video
PreOp RN: Video

14. The Patient is the Focus
CIRCULATING
NURSE
SURGEON
SCRUB
PERSON
Other services that indirectly affect perioperative patient care: a 2nd layer of team members
Materials management (Coordinator), surgery clerks
Director of the Department
Admissions Staff
Sterile Processing Department, Instrument Room
Outpatient surgery staff
SURGERY
ASSISTANT
CHARGE
NURSE
ANESTHESIOLOGIST
Or CRNA
PATIENT
ANESTHESIA
TECH