• | Demonstrates expertise of clinical knowledge principles of practice within surgical specialty focus area. |
• | Facilitates efficient room turnovers. |
• | Ensures availability of supplies, maintenance of specialty instrumentation, and equipment through consistent monitoring of inventory levels, preventive maintenance, and participation in budget preparation for specialty focus area. |
• | Informs OR CTL or Charge RN of unanticipated changes in specialty scheduling result to instrumentation and/or equipment needs. |
• | Utilizes effective time management by completing commitments accurately within negotiated timeframe. Demonstrates knowledge and proper handling of surgical implants and prostheses related to surgical specialty focus area. |
• | Role models safe, competent, and efficient work practices upholding AST/AORN best practice guidelines and UW Health policies and procedures. |
• | Demonstrates awareness of responsibilities for accuracy when performing surgical counts. |
• | Follows policy and procedure for case with inconsistent surgical count and reports discrepancies appropriately. |
• | Correctly and efficiently labels drugs and solutions and monitors quantities used on the surgical field. |
• | Assists in the proper preparation, handling, and labeling of surgical specimens. |
• | Utilizes policy and procedure and AORN recommended guidelines as a resource to best practice. |
• | In collaboration with the nurse critiques and updates policies and procedures to reflect contemporary practice. |
• | Demonstrates the ability to facilitate each case progression in a timely and cooperative manner. |
• | Identifies the appropriate resource personnel and materials in the operating room. |
• | Assists the OR CTL/Charge RN in determination of number and skill level of staff required to accommodate case requirements. |
• | Demonstrates awareness of procedural needs of other team members before and during surgical cases. |
• | Displays consistency in practice by placing instruments, supplies, and surgical drapes in an organized manner providing optimal accessibility during the course of the procedure. |
• | Attentively anticipates the surgeon's needs and offers suggestions for safe and efficient patient care. |
• | Provides expert assistance to the surgeon, demonstrating understanding of the patient’s anatomy and abnormalities which affect the surgical procedure. |
• | Communicates concise and accurate report of surgical procedure to relief staff. |
• | Modifies approach to scrubbing procedures and mentors peers within specialty focus area based on patient's individual needs. |
• | Recognizes pertinent patient information that requires modifying standard approach to care (i.e., patient size, requiring deeper retractors, allergy to medications, etc.). |
• | Incorporates patient care information into scrubbing role. |
• | Communicates with Operating Room team and leadership to plan for special patient care needs. |
• | Proficiently adapts to alterations from case cart list, reservation card, surgery schedule, etc. |
• | Establishes priorities when adapting to changing patient and unit situations: |
• | Maintains necessary skills across multiple surgical specialties for on call competency (if applicable). |
• | Mentors Surgical Tech peers in collaboration with the Education Specialists. |
• | Recognizes emergencies during surgical procedures and demonstrates ability to set priorities to assist the surgical team. |
• | Demonstrates knowledge of and responds appropriately to other Operating Room emergencies and hospital-wide disaster plans (mass casualty, fire, tornado, etc.). |
• | Assumes responsibility and accountability for assisting in effective management of the specialty focus area serving as a resource and liaison: |
• | Identifies and reports defective instruments, supplies, and equipment. |
• | Inventories, receives, and stores supplies in collaboration with the Care Team Leader and Inventory Control Specialist. |
• | Maintains a safe and healthy patient environment through inspection of facilities, correction of deficiencies, and application of health and safety rules. |
• | Solicits feedback from surgeons to determine opportunities for improvement related to supply management, equipment, staff competency and performance, and educational needs. |
• | Participates in program planning and attends specialty focused meetings as appropriate. |
• | Participates in capital budget planning sessions with specialty surgeons providing supportive documentation/evidence of need during the budget process as appropriate. |
• | Demonstrates expertise in the operation of complex machinery/equipment resources used in the Operating Room for area of specialty focus: |
• | Maintains appropriate inventory as necessary. |
• | Guides the intraoperative use of the machine to assure safety and efficient use. |
• | Serves as a troubleshooting resource in department for use of equipment. |
• | Assists Materials Coordinator in coordination of usage and loan of equipment to assure proper distribution and availability throughout the service. |
• | Assists in creating an environment conducive to learning and sharing of area of expertise. |
• | Precepts Surgical Technologists to scrub role for specialty focus area. |
• | Primary Surgical Technologist resource for surgical specialty focus area. |
• | Participates in teaching, guiding, and evaluating the performance of peers during orientation and annual review in collaboration with Education Specialist, Specialty Resource Nurse, and OR Supervisor. |
• | Assesses unit-wide learning needs and participates in planning activities to meet those needs. |
• | Functions as a positive role model. |
• | Identifies and communicates educational needs with Education Specialist and Supervisor. |
• | Seeks out learning experiences to maintain specialty focus area competency. |
• | Shares knowledge gained through participation in continuing education activities with peers and develops plan for shared learning with Education Specialist and CTL. |
• | Actively seeks information from other personnel and written aids when unfamiliar/uncomfortable with assigned procedure within specialty focus area scope. |
• | Contributes and supports the effective management of the unit. |
• | Facilitates teamwork by willingly assisting other team members in such activities as room cleaning, turnovers, case set-ups, patient transport, instrument cleaning, etc. in a timely manner. |
• | Initiates cost control by efficient use of patient and unit supplies through quality control and materials management. |
• | Works in tandem with service Care Team Leader (CTL) as service leader and resource person, covering for CTL when needed. |
• | Participates in in interviewing applicants for team/department open positions along with Leadership, Educators, CTLs. |
• | Communicates effectively with patients, families, professionals, supportive personnel and others. |
• | Displays professional attitudes and behaviors (trust, respect, honesty, and caring). |
• | Participates in and supports others in group decision making. |
• | Demonstrates behavior which results in expressed acceptance from co-workers and colleagues from other disciplines. |
• | Demonstrates effective strategies to manage stress and resolve conflict. |
• | Respects patients' rights to privacy, safety, and dignity. |
• | Assists quality assurance/improvement and research activities and participate in developing process improvement plan using A3 methodology: |
• | Participates in data collection. |
• | Identifies recurring practice problems in specialty areas and reports to appropriate individual and participates in problem resolution process. |
• | Participates in data collection for research projects under the direction of an RN. |