Before I dive into the 10 things I learned in the operating room, let me tell you what I used to think the OR was like: The room was cold, very quiet (like hear a pin drop kind of quiet), and the lights were very bright. No one was speaking, but everyone was waiting in breathless anticipation of the surgeon’s needs as he skillfully performed the life-saving operation for the patient on the table. And everyone was in white. I have no idea why everyone needed to be in white, but we’re talking about my brain here, so that’s what I always envisioned.
Then in 2011 I started working in the OR. Was it cold? Yes, very. Were the lights bright? Absolutely. Was the surgeon skilled? We all hope so. Was it quiet? Absolutely NOT! There was activity everywhere! It was this kind of controlled chaos that everyone was used to and everyone needed to get everything done so that the surgery could happen – all while Classic Rock played on Pandora in the background. And no one was wearing white, so that mental picture got tossed.
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Here are 10 things I learned in the operating room:
#1 – Peppermint Oil Is Amazing
Peppermint oil can mean the difference between surviving your case and running out of the room, throwing up inside your mask. There are some smells that penetrate so deeply into your nostrils that you can never un-smell them….thankfully a small drop (really, you only need a drop!) of peppermint oil inside your mask will protect you from some of the trauma of those nasty smells.
#2 – Live Organs Feel Different
Live organs feel very different from the ones that you may have worked with in anatomy lab. Probably because they haven’t been soaking in formaldehyde, but let’s not get wrapped around the obvious here…
#3 – Body Cavity Surprises
Have you seen what people will put inside their bodies?! Maybe you’ve heard a few horror stories, or googled images of disturbing xrays. Let me just say, there’s no limit to people’s bad choices, or their bad excuses! I’ve seen the x-rays and been in the surgeries that removed those bad choices from various cavities. Who thought putting that in there was a good idea anyway??
#4 – Incision Size Is Misleading
The size of your incision does not always equal the amount of work that was done on your body. We use retractors for a reason, you know…
#5 – We’ll Talk About EVERYTHING
There is no body part or bodily function off-limits for discussion. If it’s happened, you can bet we’ve talked about it over lunch. And we’ll happily tell anyone over dinner, too. Sometimes it’s fun to watch people get queasy.
#6 – How Far Blood Can Splatter
Once the incision is made, a hematoma under pressure has the velocity of Old Faithful. The ceiling, the walls, your eyes – nothing is safe.
#7 – The Real Meaning of a Code Brown
All Code Browns are not created equal. I’ll admit, poop in the OR is never fun. But when it’s running down the bed and makes a lake in the floor, or it sprays at such a speed across the room that it hits the wall, you know it’s going to be a bad day.
#8 – Lost Items Show Up Once You Announce Your Mistake
You won’t find that lost suture needle or lap until you finally give up and call for an x-ray. Why does it take announcing to the world that something’s lost before those things will show up??
#9 – Nurses HATE Missing Breaks
Hell hath no fury like a hangry nurse – tell us we’re not getting a lunch break today and just watch what happens. It won’t be pretty.
#10 – Never Turn Down a Break
And, related to #9, don’t ever turn down a break! There might not be another one offered and then you’re the hangry nurse AND it’s your own fault. #badcombination
There’s plenty more that I’ve learned, but these ten are at the top of my list. I’ve also learned that the OR is lively, exciting, stressful, crazy busy, smelly at times, and always cold. I know that there will be ups and downs, shifts that run long, and call cases that come back at 2 in the morning. That’s just life. But the OR is definitely my kind of place – blood, guts, poop, and all 😉
Disclosure: Some links in this post are referral links. That means, at no cost to you, I may earn a commission if you click through the link and make a purchase.