Joanne Sidgwick
Why did you want to be a healthcare assistant?
I have always enjoyed helping others, be it my family, friends, neighbours, anyone that needs a hand.
What are your day-to-day tasks?
My job as a theatres HCA entails assisting with the transfer of patients from the admissions unit, anaesthetic room into the operating theatre and post op recovery and finally returning them to the ward for a nice cuppa. I also help with the day to day setting up of theatre, making sure we are stocked up, clean and tidy, fully equipped ready for the day’s surgery.
What is the most fulfilling part of the job?
I enjoy supporting patients through their theatre journey, offering care and reassurance, which gives me a sense of pride and satisfaction.
Lynne Potter
Why did you want to be a theatre scrub nurse?
I have worked within South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for over 14 years in various positions.
As a nurse within the theatre department you have the opportunity to help patients, providing emotional support and give comfort to patients who may be nervous about their surgeries preoperative and postoperative. Additionally, you can educate patients and families about the procedure to help them with their recovery.
As a scrub nurse I assist the consultants during surgery. However, as a scrub nurse you are each patient’s advocate at all times during the surgical procedure, when they are at their most vulnerable during surgery.
What are your day-to-day tasks?
The scrub nurse will assist setting up the theatre for the list, positioning of the patient, setting up and maintaining the sterile field at the scrub table, advocating for the patient during surgery and completing the relevant paper and computer documentation for the operation.
The scrub nurse collaborates with the surgeons and consultants during all surgical procedures assisting them with equipment that they require during the procedure with an aim to improve the quality and comfort of the doctor’s work and to achieve the best outcome for each patient.
As a scrub nurse you have to memorise specific procedures and observe surgeons’ movements to assist with which instruments to hand the surgeon and at what stage of the procedure.
Most fulfilling part of the job?
The most fulfilling part of the job is having many different challenges within the theatre department, working with multi-disciplinary teams and no two days are the same. I am distributed to scrub in different theatres each day with variation of specialties.
I like to provide exceptional care to all of the patients I care for. Being part of any part of each patient’s journey is a privilege, as they put their trust in you to deliver the best care for them.
Contact us
- Careers at South Tees: [email protected]
- Work experience at South Tees: [email protected]