Careers
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Surgical care practitioners offer vital support to the surgical team and there is scope for them to carry out clinics and perform minor surgery, writes Jenny Knight
Thanks to the European Working Time Directive and changes in medical training, fewer junior doctors are available in operating theatres. One of the advanced roles introduced to deal with the shortfall, is the surgical care practitioner (SCP). SCPs allow nurses and other clinicians to extend their practice to work as members of a surgical team. They can act as surgical assistants, carry out clinics and perform minor surgery depending on the requirements of their surgical team. Orthopaedic SCP at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Adrian Jones, who is also lead for SCP issues at the Association of Perioperative Practice (AfPP), says: ‘The role depends on the particular surgeon and department. SCPs are typically recruited from operating department practitioners or theatre nurses with three years’ experience. They then follow a two-year academic and practical course accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons.’
Supporting role
Julie Quick worked as a theatre nurse and theatre manager before retraining for her role as SCP at Manor Hospital in Walsall where she works in the surgical team. ‘My role is to support and help.’ Once in theatre, Ms Quick helps position the patient, inserts catheters, and puts on drapes. She will often start the procedure with the surgeon. At the end of the procedure she sutures the skin, freeing the surgeon to write the notes, and speaks to the next patient.
NURSING STANDARD
TIM GEORGE
AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU
Julie Quick teaches basic surgical skills to junior doctors
Ms Quick also teaches junior doctors basic surgical skills such as retraction, suturing and knot tying. ‘Outside theatre, I work closely with surgical colleagues in clinics, seeing patients before surgery and afterwards,’ Ms Quick explains. ‘On the day of surgery, I explain the consent form again and answer any questions about the procedure and recovery period.’ As well as assisting with minor and major surgery, she performs hernia repairs, varicose veins and minor excisions of sebaceous cysts under the supervision of the consultant surgeon. Ms Quick’s two-year training included a part-time course at the University of Greenwich and practical experience in the theatre. She also undertook an independent prescribing course and a master’s
degree in professional studies in healthcare at the University of Wolverhampton. The Royal College of Surgeons recently reviewed the SCP training curriculum (see resources) and Ms Quick is working with the AfPP to set national standards for SCPs. SCPs who are nurses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), while SCPs who are operating department practitioners are regulated by the Health Professions Council. Ms Quick explains: ‘I am a registered nurse and I work as a nurse, not as a surgeon. I work within the NMC Code, wear a nurse’s uniform and tell patients that I am a nurse. My priority is patient safety. The best part of my job is the patient contact.’ While logic suggests that more SCPs should be appointed, the reality is that some consultants have yet to discover the benefits of an SCP in their surgical team. The uncertainty means it is hard for nurses who are attracted to the role to plan for the future. There are few SCP jobs and only in certain hospitals, so once there, SCPs tend to stay in their job NS Jenny Knight is a freelance journalist RESOURCES The Association for Perioperative Practice www.afpp.org.uk Revised Royal College of Surgeons SCP curriculum 2014 tinyurl.com/SCPRCS may 14 :: vol 28 no 37 :: 2014 63
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If you would like to write for our careers section email the editor at [email protected]
Surgical care practitioners offer vital support to the surgical team and there is scope for them to carry out clinics and perform minor surgery, writes Jenny Knight
Thanks to the European Working Time Directive and changes in medical training, fewer junior doctors are available in operating theatres. One of the advanced roles introduced to deal with the shortfall, is the surgical care practitioner (SCP). SCPs allow nurses and other clinicians to extend their practice to work as members of a surgical team. They can act as surgical assistants, carry out clinics and perform minor surgery depending on the requirements of their surgical team. Orthopaedic SCP at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital Adrian Jones, who is also lead for SCP issues at the Association of Perioperative Practice (AfPP), says: ‘The role depends on the particular surgeon and department. SCPs are typically recruited from operating department practitioners or theatre nurses with three years’ experience. They then follow a two-year academic and practical course accredited by the Royal College of Surgeons.’
Supporting role
Julie Quick worked as a theatre nurse and theatre manager before retraining for her role as SCP at Manor Hospital in Walsall where she works in the surgical team. ‘My role is to support and help.’ Once in theatre, Ms Quick helps position the patient, inserts catheters, and puts on drapes. She will often start the procedure with the surgeon. At the end of the procedure she sutures the skin, freeing the surgeon to write the notes, and speaks to the next patient.
NURSING STANDARD
TIM GEORGE
AT A THEATRE NEAR YOU
Julie Quick teaches basic surgical skills to junior doctors
Ms Quick also teaches junior doctors basic surgical skills such as retraction, suturing and knot tying. ‘Outside theatre, I work closely with surgical colleagues in clinics, seeing patients before surgery and afterwards,’ Ms Quick explains. ‘On the day of surgery, I explain the consent form again and answer any questions about the procedure and recovery period.’ As well as assisting with minor and major surgery, she performs hernia repairs, varicose veins and minor excisions of sebaceous cysts under the supervision of the consultant surgeon. Ms Quick’s two-year training included a part-time course at the University of Greenwich and practical experience in the theatre. She also undertook an independent prescribing course and a master’s
degree in professional studies in healthcare at the University of Wolverhampton. The Royal College of Surgeons recently reviewed the SCP training curriculum (see resources) and Ms Quick is working with the AfPP to set national standards for SCPs. SCPs who are nurses are regulated by the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC), while SCPs who are operating department practitioners are regulated by the Health Professions Council. Ms Quick explains: ‘I am a registered nurse and I work as a nurse, not as a surgeon. I work within the NMC Code, wear a nurse’s uniform and tell patients that I am a nurse. My priority is patient safety. The best part of my job is the patient contact.’ While logic suggests that more SCPs should be appointed, the reality is that some consultants have yet to discover the benefits of an SCP in their surgical team. The uncertainty means it is hard for nurses who are attracted to the role to plan for the future. There are few SCP jobs and only in certain hospitals, so once there, SCPs tend to stay in their job NS Jenny Knight is a freelance journalist RESOURCES The Association for Perioperative Practice www.afpp.org.uk Revised Royal College of Surgeons SCP curriculum 2014 tinyurl.com/SCPRCS may 14 :: vol 28 no 37 :: 2014 63
Downloaded from RCNi.com by ${individualUser.displayName} on Nov 25, 2015. For personal use only. No other uses without permission. Copyright © 2015 RCNi Ltd. All rights reserved.
