In 2009, the International Association of Operating Nurses established a professional holiday to recognize the work of an operating room nurse. It is called International Operating Nurse Day and is celebrated annually on February 15th.
This date is closely related to another professional holiday, celebrated on May 12 – as Nurse's Day, but it is dedicated to the work of those nurses who work and save people's lives together with doctors in operating rooms.
Surgery as a field of medicine has its roots in antiquity. However, a serious breakthrough in this area occurred in the 19th century, which gave the world the names of such outstanding surgeons as N.I. Pirogov, D.Zh. Larrey, I.F. Bush, M.S. Subbotin, N.V. Sklifosovsky et al. But in addition to surgical techniques directly, it was necessary to resolve the issue of pain relief and prevent infection of the patient during surgery. Painful shock, blood loss and sepsis claimed a lot of lives even in the case of successful surgical interventions. It was along these lines that the 19th century was a breakthrough.
In 1846, the American chemist C.T. Jackson and dentist W. Morton underwent tooth extraction under anesthesia, which included diethyl ether vapors. In the same year, surgeon J. K. Warren performed surgery to remove the tumor under ether anesthesia, and the following year, English obstetrician J. Young Simpson used chloroform as anesthesia. This was the beginning of modern anesthesiology using general anesthesia.
Louis Pasteur, J. Lister, N.I. Pirogov, M.S. Subbotin and other doctors and scientists made an invaluable contribution to the fight against purulent complications in the postoperative period, identifying the causes and sources of infection, as well as developing principles for the preparation of operating rooms, instruments and dressings, becoming the founders of antisepsis and asepsis in surgery. Their ideas were further developed by the methods of E. von Bergmann and N.W. Sklifosovsky, as well as other doctors.
The work of the operating units gradually turned into a comprehensive work not only of the surgeon and his assistants. Anesthesiologists began to be involved in the operation. However, the preparation of the operating unit, the necessary tools, medicines and dressing material began to be entrusted to the operating room nurse. It is believed that the position of operating room nurse appeared in 1891.
What responsibilities are assigned to an operating room nurse these days? It trains the operating room, members of the surgical team, surgical instruments, suture and dressing materials, medical equipment, monitors the compliance of the patient and team’s movements in accordance with sterility zones, and ensures compliance with aseptic and antiseptic rules. The operating nurse prepares the operating field and during the operation provides surgeons with timely tools and materials.
She is also responsible for postoperative patient care and prevention of complications, supervising the sending to the laboratory of biomaterials taken during surgery for histological and bacteriological examination. The operating nurse carries out quantitative accounting of instruments, medicines, suture and dressing materials, equipment, carrying out their primary disinfection treatment and monitoring the sterilization process. In addition to these procedures, the operating nurse maintains relevant medical documentation.
All this work allows for coordinated surgical operations and ensures the proper level of functioning of the operating unit.
Traditionally, in medical institutions of different countries, today’s holiday is timed not only to honor nurses, but also to hold round tables, conferences, and master classes at which issues related to the responsibilities of operating nurses are discussed and experience is exchanged. In some cases, the management of medical institutions presents gifts and bonuses to operating nurses. Of course, simple gratitude from recovered patients also plays a significant role in recognizing the role of operating nurses in saving a person’s life.