Section III. ATTRIBUTES NECESSARY IN TEAM MEMBERS
2-19. PERSONAL HYGIENE
Good personal hygiene is of particular importance, since it helps to protect the
patient and team members from getting an infection. The OR specialist should
shampoo his hair daily because both hair and dandruff harbor bacteria. He should
shower at least once a day with antibacterial soap, use a deodorant, and put on
clean underwear and socks after each shower. Oral hygiene is also important for the
control of both bacteria and offensive odors. The specialist must give special attention
to his hands--he should wash and scrub them frequently, and he should keep his nails
well trimmed. He should have two pairs of shoes for use in the OR suite
and should wear them alternately, allowing one pair to air while wearing the other pair.
The specialist should not wear scrub clothes outside of the surgical suite. It should be
against regulations for personnel to enter the OR who have infections of the nose
or throat, who are known to be carriers of infectious diseases, or who have open
sores.
2-20. ETHICAL AND PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
a. Discussion. Ethics can be defined as the study of standards of conduct and
moral judgment. It is a system or code of morals of a particular profession. Medical
ethics can be guided by the principle--render service to humanity with full respect for
dignity of man.
b. Personal. Personal characteristics of honesty, dependability, and integrity
are absolutely essential. Each team member is dependent upon and places his
confidence in the other team members for the correct performance of duties. The
development of a "surgical conscience" is therefore necessary for the OR
specialist. The specialist should also possess a desire to learn and to progress from
knowledge of simple procedures to more complicated ones. He should be energetic
and determined in his efforts to improve his skill in the performance of all his tasks.
Skills may be improved through practice, with guidance as necessary by qualified
personnel.
c. Medical. The OR specialist has a moral obligation to safeguard the patient
against gossip in or outside of the OR. He should not mention a patient's name and
the operative procedure performed to personnel not assigned to the surgical suite;
and he should discuss such information with other team members only to the
extent necessary in the accomplishment of the work. Another medical aspect of
both ethical and moral responsibilities concerns events that take place within the
surgical suite. Such events should not be discussed outside the OR. The OR
specialist should not reveal confidences and trusts or deficiencies observed in
the character of the patient.
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