Today we had our lab evaluations over everything we’ve learned this semester in lab! I get so nervous when I’m being watched one on one so I knew I would make some mistakes. Overall I got an 82/84. The mistakes I made were obvious ones because I’m so used to being prompted to do something, I just thought she’d be like, “Okay, what’s next?” LOL. So I didn’t turn my gown because she didn’t ask me to. Such a dumb thing on my part because in reality no one is going to ask the tech, the tech is going to ask the circulator when the time comes! 🤦🏼♀️
BUT she told me she was confident that I knew what I was doing, so that made me feel really good! 🙌☺️ She told me I just need to be more confident, because I know what I’m doing. I just need to stop overthinking everything and just do it. And I agree 💯. I’m always so worried about making mistakes and sometimes overthink things and then make mistakes because of it. More confidence in myself: noted!!
It was such a relief to be done. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough. But to be honest, like I told our instructor, it’s almost like dropping your child off at daycare and then missing them like crazy. I put my stuff away and then I miss it and feel like this empty feeling. It’s so weird. I feel like it’s my happy place, for sure!! Definitely where I’m meant to be! I’m nervous, but I cannot wait for clinicals to get the full experience and be back in my happy place and actually helping people instead of just practicing it in lab.
Our syllabus:
1- Prepares setup & opens back table drape & other needed supplies
2- Scrubbing in task #1:
–She didn’t even watch me scrub in the first half, she told me she was confident I knew what I was doing while she was finishing up with the previous student. That felt great to hear! 👏
3- Scrubbing in task #2:
4- Demonstrates correct drying technique
5- Demonstrates donning of sterile gown
6- Demonstrates closed glove technique
–I had these darn sticky gloves… I had to talk myself down so I didn’t freak out! 😳 But I got it eventually haha I despise those things! We ran out of the good ones. 😢
7- Demonstrates “turning” to tie up correctly
–1pt off for not doing it because instead of just doing it, I overthought it and didn’t do it. Just so used to her asking us for our cards. 🤷♀️🤦🏼♀️
8- Maintains hand within sterile perimeters of gown
9- Demonstrate presentation of gown. Protect hands
–This was for gowning/gloving a team member, which was her
10- Demonstrate preparation, presentation, & application of first glove
–I thought I would be more nervous doing the interactions with others, but this made me more calm, oddly, and I did great!! 😅
11- Demonstrate preparation, presentation, & application of second glove12- Demonstrates assisting with turning wrap around back of gown correctly (did not do)
13- Demonstrates correct draping of Mayo stand
14- Demonstrate towel preparations. Place towels on Mayo stand & secure edges. Preps towel roll.
–And I forgot my towel on my Mayo stand, which I have never forgotten before!
15- Demonstrates minor instrument setup on Mayo
16- Demonstrates pouring of solution into a bowl correctly. Labels bowls prior to receiving solution.
17- Demonstrates preparation of bulb syringe
18- Prepares instruments for use:
–1 pt off for not checking the instruments when I was supposed to I guess… I wasn’t there yet, I didn’t think. But oh well. I’ll have to make sure I’m doing this in the proper order! ✔️
19- Demonstrates correct instrument requested
20- Demonstrates safe passing designed to elicit & grasp the grasp reflex without hand contact with surgeon. Utilizes lock boxes when possible & does not handle working tip of the instrument with gloved hand.
21- Demonstrate safe passing of instrument in position to use. Curved instruments are passed with curve aligned with curve of surgeon’s hand. Tissue forceps aligned with surgeon’s middle/forefinger & thumb
–She said I did great on finding the correct instruments & passing everything. I feel like this might be harder than some of the other stuff but somehow I excel in the harder stuff. I don’t get it. But all the compliments just made me feel even more confident in my abilities. 🥰
I also had to load and pass suture, as well as load and pass the scalpel. I did great on those! She even asked me for multiple instruments at once, really quickly, and I was able to keep up somehow! I was pretty proud of myself. Now we just have our Final left. **Update: I aced the Final! 🙂 Another semester with a 4.0! So proud of myself for everything I’ve accomplished in this program. It’s definitely transforming me into another person.**
I really am going to miss lab this Summer. I’m not sure what I’m going to do without my setup!! It will definitely feel good to be back in the Fall!
Until then, I hope everyone has a wonderful Summer!~!
❤ Jess
The Surgical Tech Student 