Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You give the doctors what they need as they ask for it.
You are afraid that if you second-guess the doctors by handing them what you think they will need, you may slow down the procedure.
"The education that you received will give you the basics, but the experience you receive while on a clinical rotation will be your real education," says surgical tech Randi Ramsey. "This is where you sink or swim."
What you learned in school may not be enough to get you through such a serious operation. "Your instructor can only take you so far. It has to be up to the individual whether they will succeed and pay attention to detail or not," says Ramsey.
"The surgical technician needs to remember the doctors' preferences and make the conscious effort to have things readily available. The decision making comes in when the doctor is actually performing the operation."
You decide to wait to pass them the supplies they need as they ask for them. This may not make the operation go as quickly as possible, but it will enable it to go as smoothly as possible.
You still use your experience by anticipating what the doctor may ask for. However, you wait for verification before you pass the supplies over. "The surgical technician is the surgeon's right-hand man," says Ramsey. "Listening skills are most important."