How can operating room nursing and anesthesiologist become good partners?

In the operating room, the lighting was soft and the smell of disinfectant was faint. I worked with Dr. Wang from the Department of Anesthesiology to perform thoracoscopic surgery on Xiaoyu, a 16-year-old patient with pneumothorax. In the early morning, I changed into surgical gowns and faced the challenge. Xiaoyu was pushed in accompanied by his parents, and I gently explained the surgical procedures to ease his nervousness. Before anesthesia, I checked the information in detail with Dr. Wang and explained the anesthesia process and risks to Xiaoyu's parents. Dr. Wang guided Xiaoyu to relax, and after the anesthetic was injected, he fell asleep steadily. I prepared the surgical instruments and ensured a sterile environment.

The operation began. The surgeon performed the operation under the thoracoscope. I passed the instruments and monitored Xiaoyu's vital signs. Dr. Wang flexibly adjusted the depth of anesthesia to ensure safety. The operation was carried out in an orderly manner. The surgeon completed the bullae resection and pleural fixation. I cooperated closely and the operation ended smoothly. Xiaoyu woke up and said he felt fine. I was relieved. The success of the operation was attributed to the tacit cooperation of the team. After the operation, I sent Xiaoyu back to the ward for handover. I felt very satisfied watching him recover. In the operating room, we work together to bring hope to patients.

As the core department of the medical system, the operating room carries the hopes and challenges of countless lives. Here, the success of each operation is inseparable from the close cooperation between operating room nursing and anesthesiologists. Operating room nurses and anesthesiologists are not only important members of the surgical team, but also the key to ensuring patient safety and improving treatment effects. This article will discuss in detail how operating room nursing can be a good partner with anesthesiologists to jointly provide patients with high-quality medical services.

1. Preoperative preparation: meticulous and safe

1. Psychological counseling

Most patients are not very clear about the common sense of surgery and anesthesia, so they will have various anxieties and fears. During the preoperative consultation, the operating room nurse and the anesthesiologist need to do a good job of psychological counseling for the patient. Inform the patient of the necessity of surgery, the importance and method of anesthesia through appropriate methods, and inform the patient of the common sense of surgery and anesthesia, comfort and encourage the patient, so as to relieve the patient's psychological symptoms such as tension and fear.

2. Operating room environment

The temperature and humidity in the operating room have an important impact on the patient's physiological state. When the patient is under general or local anesthesia, the anesthetized area will lose its ability to adapt to the external environment. If the indoor temperature is too high, the patient's body will radiate heat, causing high fever; if the indoor temperature is too low, especially when the surgical wound is large, the patient's body temperature will drop, and symptoms such as chills and arrhythmia will occur. For patients with general anesthesia, especially children and the elderly, it may also cause prolonged anesthesia awakening time, and even respiratory depression and postoperative pneumonia. Therefore, the operating room nurse should control the temperature in the operating room at 20~24℃ and the relative humidity at 40%~60% to maintain the patient's normal body temperature.

3. Preoperative verification

The operating room nurse, anesthesiologist and surgeon jointly confirm the patient's information, including name, gender, age, name of the operation, etc. Check the effect of the pre-anesthetic medication, determine whether the patient has dentures, and whether fasting or water abstinence is required. In addition, ensure the validity and integrity of sterile items and that they are not damaged or expired.

4. Prepare surgical drugs and instruments

Prepare drugs and blood products that may be used in advance according to the type of surgery, check and prepare the required surgical instruments and equipment, and ensure that all necessary surgical instruments and equipment are ready to support the smooth progress of the surgery. At the same time, assist the anesthesiologist in the preparations before anesthesia, such as establishing intravenous access, positioning the patient, and adjusting the surgical lighting.

2. Cooperation during surgery: efficient collaboration to ensure smooth operation

1. Induction and maintenance of anesthesia

During the anesthesia induction phase, the operating room nurse should cooperate with the anesthesiologist to adjust the patient's position and firmly fix the patient on the operating table to prevent the patient from falling off the bed due to excitement, causing skin damage and fractures. During the maintenance phase, the nurse should closely observe the patient's various physiological indicators and use medication according to the anesthesiologist's instructions. During the awakening phase, the nurse should adjust the patient's position at any time according to the anesthesiologist's requirements, assist the patient in suctioning sputum, and ensure that the airway is unobstructed.

2. Coordination of blood transfusion and infusion

During anesthesia surgery, the patient's blood volume is relatively low due to fasting and water abstinence before surgery, and the vasodilation of the blocked parts or organs after general anesthesia. In addition, the bleeding and evaporation of the wound during surgery, and the loss of a large amount of body fluids, can all cause a decrease in blood pressure. Under the guidance of the anesthesiologist, the nurse should keep the intravenous infusion channel unobstructed and infuse the patient. At the same time, the nurse should cooperate with the anesthesiologist to closely monitor the amount of bleeding during surgery, give the patient a blood transfusion when necessary, and pay special attention to various vital signs after the transfusion.

3. Monitor vital signs

The anesthesiologist will continuously monitor the patient's heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, oxygen saturation, body temperature and neurological function to ensure that the patient's vital signs are stable. Operating room nurses should master the use of monitors and promptly assist the anesthesiologist in dealing with any anesthesia-related complications that may occur, such as respiratory depression, bradycardia or tachycardia, allergic reactions, etc., based on changes in the patient's various physiological indicators.

3. Postoperative care: meticulous care to promote recovery

1. Postoperative handover

After the operation, the operating room nurse will transfer the patient safely from the operating table to the ward and conduct a detailed handover with the ward nurse, explaining important information such as the patient's surgical condition, anesthesia method, infusion and medication, so that the ward nurse can continue to provide targeted nursing services to the patient.

2. Regular follow-up and nursing assessment

Regular follow-up and nursing assessments are conducted on patients, and corresponding nursing suggestions and guidance are provided according to the actual conditions of the patients to reduce the occurrence of postoperative complications. At the same time, anesthesiologists will also participate in postoperative visits to monitor the patient's recovery and ensure that the patient safely passes through the perioperative period.

IV. Measures to improve collaboration efficiency

1. Establish a sound collaboration mechanism

Hospitals should formulate relevant rules and regulations and operating procedures to clarify the responsibilities and collaboration requirements of operating room nurses and anesthesiologists. At the same time, the collaboration mechanism should be regularly evaluated and optimized to adapt to the continuous development of medical technology and changes in patient needs.

2. Strengthen communication and training

Operating room nurses and anesthesiologists should strengthen communication and training to understand each other's professional knowledge and skill levels. Both parties should learn how to apply new technologies and equipment to improve their collaboration and treatment effectiveness. In addition, both parties should focus on cultivating communication skills and improving teamwork spirit.

3. Strengthen emergency response capabilities

During surgery, emergencies often occur. To ensure patient safety and treatment effectiveness, operating room nurses and anesthesiologists should strengthen emergency response training and practice drills. Both parties should develop emergency plans and regularly update and improve them to improve response speed and handling capabilities in emergency situations.

4. Improve the postoperative follow-up system

In order to better understand the patient's postoperative recovery and deal with possible problems in a timely manner, the hospital should establish a complete postoperative follow-up system. Operating room nurses and anesthesiologists should actively participate in follow-up work, pay attention to the patient's recovery process and provide necessary guidance and support. Through the implementation of the follow-up system, patient satisfaction and medical service quality can be improved.

5. Case sharing: Collaborative practice between operating room nursing and anesthesiologists

Case 1: Complex surgery on an elderly patient

Mr. Zhang is an 80-year-old patient who needs a heart bypass surgery due to severe heart disease. The operation is extremely risky and requires extremely strict operating room nursing and anesthesiologists. In the preoperative preparation stage, the operating room nurses and anesthesiologists jointly conducted detailed psychological counseling and physiological assessments on Mr. Zhang to ensure that he could tolerate the operation and anesthesia. During the operation, the operating room nurses closely monitored Mr. Zhang's vital signs and worked closely with the anesthesiologist to ensure that the operation went smoothly. After the operation, with meticulous care and follow-up, Mr. Zhang recovered smoothly and was discharged from the hospital.

Case 2: Emergency surgery for a pediatric patient

Xiao Tao is a 5-year-old child who needs to undergo a general surgery for chest wall tuberculosis. Faced with a young patient and tight operating time, the operating room nurses and anesthesiologists acted quickly. The anesthesiologist quickly assessed Xiao Ming's physical condition and selected a suitable anesthesia plan, while the operating room nurses quickly prepared surgical instruments and drugs. During the operation, the operating room nurses and anesthesiologists worked closely together to ensure the smooth progress of the operation. After the operation, Xiao Ming quickly recovered through meticulous care and follow-up.

VI. Summary and Outlook

Close collaboration between operating room nursing and anesthesiologists is the key to ensuring the success of surgery and patient safety. Through close collaboration in multiple links such as preoperative preparation, intraoperative cooperation and postoperative care, operating room nurses and anesthesiologists jointly provide patients with high-quality medical services. With the continuous advancement of medical technology and the increasing needs of patients, the collaboration between operating room nursing and anesthesiologists will face more challenges and opportunities. In the future, we expect operating room nursing and anesthesiologists to continue to strengthen communication and training, enhance emergency handling capabilities, and improve the postoperative follow-up system, so as to provide patients with safer, more efficient and high-quality services.

As a core department in the medical system, the operating room carries the hopes and challenges of countless lives. Here, the success of each operation is inseparable from the close cooperation between operating room nursing and anesthesiologists. Let us work together to safeguard the life safety and health and well-being of patients!

Wang Penghao, Department of Anesthesiology and Surgery, Henan Chest Hospital

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