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When the patient arrives to the operating room, he/she is received and surrounded by a surgeon,
one or two assistants, an anesthesia provider, a scrubbed nurse, a circulating nurse etc. These
individuals, each with specific functions to perform, form the operating team.
The operating room team is subdivided according to the functions of its members:
Responsibilities of Each Member Sterile team members wash (scrub) their hands and arms, put
on (don) a sterile gown and gloves, and enter the sterile Operating Room.
Sterile field is the area of the operating room that immediately surrounds and is specially
prepared for the patient. To establish a sterile field, all items needed for the surgical procedure are
sterilized (a process by which all living microorganisms are killed). After this process, the scrubbed and
sterile team members function within this limited area and handle only sterile items.
Unsterile team members, on the other hand, do not enter the sterile field; they function outside
and around it. They assume responsibility for maintaining sterile technique during the surgical procedure,
but they handle supplies and equipment that are not considered sterile. Following the principles of
aseptic technique, they keep the sterile team supplied, provide direct patient care, and handle other
requirements that may arise during the surgical procedure.
The "scrubbed" nurses learn how best to work with each surgeon and other team members as a
smooth working team. He/she is guided and directed constantly by what the surgeon is doing. This
means that the "scrubbed" nurse must have a constant attention to the operation field
SUBMITTED BY:
CARYL T. CAYABYAB