medical students

Hi,new to this site so a big hello/yesterday had second colposcopy(last one last year)and LEETZ/cone biopspy.How do people feel about medicalstudents in the operating theatre?Are they asked if before op if ok?How do you know if students have been present or even involved in the operating procedure?Do you only know because you happen to get a glimpse of theatre and see a 10year old (looked to me)standing there in scrubs.P***** is an understatement.Why do the medical professional put on a grown and suddenly it is ok to do what they want under the guise of medical training/education.I know you have to learn somewhere guys,but do you really need to do it in herds,why can we not just have one of you at a time.Do you even think of of the stress we are under while dealing with our bad news.Do you guys think of us at all?Are there any medical student out there,i would love to hear your side of the story.Any seventeen years finding your predicatment a giggle/oh my way have just finished 3/4 years of breast cancer treatment and have been prodded,pushed,exposed over that time/was asked if could operate on both ends in same procedure/boobs and cervix/yea great,i will just strip totally ,lay on a table ,put legs in air,and you can then happly open the threatre door and let half the hospital to have a quick walk by because i am such  an unusal /strange/oddity medical case.No i will give that a miss/and yes they were shocked when i said no to that.Now i have to go though all again but bottom wise/how do you deal with all this/?i  am just pretty stressed i guess/also/how can you tell if you have had  acone biopsy/is there packing/pain/is it done as day case/no one seems quite sure if i have had one,should have done????mandy

Hi,

I can't answer your queries about how to know what they have done as I'm not sure. I would have thought someone should have let you know.

I can however give you my take on the student thing. I have been a qualified nurse for coming up 13 years but NEVER as a student would I have attended surgery on anyone let alone something so personal, without asking consent from the patient first. May I add that no student under my supervision has ever or will ever do so either. Yes, students do have to learn but I agree, one at a time, with your express consent. Sadly 'm not sure that my medical/surgical colleagues operate in the same way as me. I strongly believe they should though as you are within your right to refuse then to be present. 

I'm really sorry you are having to go through all this after everything you've already been through. I agree it probably is unusual to be do unlucky but that does not make you a free for all for everybody to gasp at. Express your concerns to the team or if you don't feel able to the hospital PALS team who will follow up for you. It's not fair and completely undignifying. I'd be furious if I discovered students had been present without my knowledge and consent.

Best of luck with everything

Rachel x

Hi,

thank you for reply made me feel  positive and safe and alot stronger.

I would love to chat with you privately.I would like to ask your thoughts/advice on some things  

I notice you start treatment in 2 days,chemo?How are you?If you are feeling up to it keep in touch,good to know how you are.

Hope everything goes ok on the 29,take care,mandy(big hug)

Hello,

I just wondered if you know for certain they were students? I only ask becuase sometimes there can be people in theatre who you may not necessarily have been introduced to? But of course if there were students and you weren't consented, this would be serious, and perhaps raising your concerns with PALS - as Rachh81 as already suggested - might be a good way forward.

A few years back I had a gynae op and was asked for my consent for students to be in theatre. I had the same situation occur for my first LETTZ too. I thought nowadays they had to gain consent, and so I'm sorry if this happened to you and you weren't asked for consent. 

All the best.

Hi,thanks for reply,when going into theatre the gas room,two very young people there,ok i know doctors are getting younger but i asked the guy what would he be doing(if operating),i was not keen (sorry cause he looked so young)for him to do any surgery,plus iwanted my gyae to do it.Anyway he kind of grinned,and muttered,no so asked again abit more forceful and he again muttered scrub,(very,very quitely,just about heard it)operation,just did not seem very doctor like,felt like i had bervis and butt head at the end of the bed,just more like teenger,less like a doctor,worried me but everything happened quick put under so could not think more about it,i am chasing up theatre list and qualifications just to put my mind at ease,i could be fussing over nothing but i will feel better once i have the list,mandy

Hi,hope treatment goes ok tomorrow,mandy 

Does anyone know a quicker way to get theatre list (who was in there)then going though doctor,freedom of info way,can you just ask hospital for copy?also the surgeon sees you  before operation(which she did)can there be another surgeon in theatre you have not seen,who is normally in theatre?I have looked at consent form (third younger person,woman,gas)signed her job title shu(who i did see before theatre) ,what does that mean?Who is normally in theatre?Also the hospital seemed to full of young people in scrubs that day come to think of it.Just want to get to the bottom of this /is it normal for anyone who you see in theatre gas room(in scrubs) to introduce themselves and just say who and what they do,normally the gas and gas assistant,and gynea /yes this is really getting to me /maybe a trust issue here

Hey,

Absolutely fine to private message me anytime.

Am guessing it said SHO on consent form- senior house officer(junior doc but qualified). Doctors are getting younger or maybe I'm getting older so it does often seem as though there are heaps of teenagers in scrubs about. Maybe it would be worth asking someone who was in theatre at your next appointment as they will have your notes in front of them. Depends how comfortable you feel doing that. Otherwise it is the drawn out process if applying for access under freedom for information I'm afraid.

Having both chemo and radiotherapy tomorrow, a little apprehensive to say the very least.

Rachel x

Hi,both together/will be a busy day,hope it goes alright

had chemo before(breast cancer)and seperate radiotherapy(non hodgkins)you ok with everything?

mandy

Hi,

Ive worked as a nurse for the NHS since 2005 starting from a surgical backround and I had been a studend nurse in a few placements before I qualified. I can assure you that no medical student will have laid a finger on any of you. Any student weather nurse or doctor has to have tbe consent of the patient prior to being involved with any treatment and must have thier mentor / supervisor with them. I know in theatres they are very very strict on this and don't allow anyone without the appropriate qualifications or skills to lay a finger on a patient. During my training I observed two cardiac operations and wore scrubs but did not go anywhere near the patient. They certainly limit the amount of people allowed in the room and the amount of people actually making contact with the patient. They often have health care assistants/ porters working in there who wear scrubs who deal with bringing the equipment to and from the scrub nurse and does a lot of general jobs. They can be employed from the age of 17 and are often very young/ just starting out in nurisng but again they are not qualified nurses or student nurses so won't have laid a finger on you.

Plus they are the  responsibility of the nurse In charge and the doctor I cHarge and they certainly wouldn't let a student loose on a patient, it takes years for even the registrar (very senior doctors, one grade lower than the consultant) to do a procedure and even then the consultant is present. I think the theatre staff should have communicated with you better to put you at ease. I promise you we dont see patients as guinea pits to practice on, your safety is very important to us. I hope This helps and all the best with your treatment. 

 

Lobe Kerry. Xxx