Introduction to the Operating Room
LESSON 2: Operating Room Personnel, Policies, and Nomenclature
2-12
Section II. THE OPERATING ROOM TEAM
2-12. INTRODUCTION
a. Discussion.
(1) The operating room team consists of all members of the OR staff. As an example, the team includes the OR specialist who usually performs the patient's skin preparation the day before surgery, the specialist who put up the packs that are used for the operation, the specialist (or
the AN Officer) who selects the set of instruments, and the specialist who sterilizes the supplies used for the surgery. Other team members who may not necessarily be in an OR during an operation are the Chief of Department of Surgery, the Chief of Anesthesiology and Operative Services, the OR Supervisor, and the noncommissioned officer In charge (NCOIC). The surgical team is the group of people in the immediate area during a surgical procedure. This includes the surgeon and one or more assistants (depending on the complexity of the case), the anesthetist, the nurse or specialist performing the scrub duties, and the nurse or specialist performing circulating duties. All team members work together to accomplish the best possible care of the patient. Every job performed in the OR--no matter how small--contributes to the welfare of the patient, and no job is so important that it alone accounts for the recovery of the patient.
(2) Knowledge of the nature of the duties of OR team members as well as their relationships with each other is essential to the OR specialist because without such knowledge he cannot fully appreciate what is required of him. Figure 2-1 indicates the line of authority for the or. NOTE: The hospital commander, the chief of professional services, and the chief, department of nursing are not considered members of the OR team.
Figure 2-1. Line of authority for the OR personnel in a typical
US Army hospital.
b. Professional and Nonprofessional Team Members.
(1) The professional members of the team include Medical Corps (MC) Officers and Army Nurse Corps (AN) Officers, as well as any civilian medical doctors and nurses assigned (see paragraphs 2-13 through 2-16).
(2) The nonprofessional team members include the NCOIC, the Enlisted specialist, and civilian technicians.
