Reception / Recovery Areas
Student Nurse Program
Student Nurse:
Mentor:
Starting Date:
Date of midway assessment:
Date of Final assessment:
First Day Orientation
Date
Student
Mentor
Introduction to mentor
Geography of area
Introduction to Senior charge nurse
Introduction of reception / recovery staff
Location of adult arrest trolley
Location of paediatric arrest trolley
Location and use of Emergency alarms
Resuscitation procedure
Location of fire points, exits, and procedure
Location and use of PPE
Location and use of manual handling aids
Maintaining a safe environment for staff and
patient during anaesthetic delirium
Understand procedure for reporting an incident
Location of computers for education
Location of student nurse education board
Location of teaching box and folder
Date of completion: ..................................
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KEY FOR OBJECTIVES:
 Welcome to Theatre Reception / Recovery, my team look forward to working
with you and we hope you have an enjoyable placement.
 You should spend time with your mentor on a regular basis to discuss your
progress; identify your next objectives and how you will achieve them.
 Within the first week plan a date for your midway assessment and during this
assessment plan a date for your final assessment with your mentor.
 Both mentor and student will sign and date the columns, “discussed,” “observed”
and “assisted” for each objective when achieved.
 I am available to oversee your placement in reception / recovery; I am always
available to give you help, support and advice.
 Some objectives may require observation or reading only.
 This program provides both as an educational and orientation tool.
 It outlines the principle knowledge and skills required, but it is not all
encompassing.
 The program is designed to be flexible and can be adapted to suit you, depending
on your learning needs.
 I advise you to keep a diary of visits, procedures witnessed and experience
gained.
 I would be grateful for return of your “feedback form” as your experience during
your placement is valuable to the team for our continuous development of the
student programme.
 ENJOY !
SCN Emery.
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Opportunities to spend time with :-
Dates:
Operating Department Assistant (OPD)
Acute Pain Nurse
Surgical High Dependancy (SHDU)
Your chosen theatres
Day Surgery Unit
Theatre Department
There are ten operating theatres in total. Each theatre has an Anaesthetic room, Scrub Room, Disposal
Room, and a shared Prep Room
Theatre 1 – Maxillo-facial
Theatre 2 – Ear, Nose and Throat
Theatre 3 – General Surgery
Theatre 4 – General Surgery
Theatre 5 – Vascular
Theatre 6 – Orthopaedic Trauma
Theatre 7 – Gynaecology
Theatre 8 – Obstetrics
Theatre 9 – Emergency (CEPOD)
Theatre 10 – Urology
The Recovery Room: is a designated area within the theatre department where short term critical care is
given, on a one to one basis by experienced nurses, immediately post op. There are two recovery rooms;
each is equipped with monitors and equipment to allow recovery to take place safely. Recovery room 1 is
utilised for paediatric recovery while 2 is the main recovery.
The Theatre Reception Area: is where pre op check listing occurs and patients are transferred onto the
operating tables.
Roles of the multidisciplinary theatre team members:
Surgical Consultants and their teams: Responsible for the patients overall well -being during their surgery.
Anaesthetist: A medical specialist who cares for a patient during a surgical procedure and administers
either general or regional anaesthetic.
Operating department practitioner (ODP), Physician’s Assistant (PA) and Anaesthetic Nurse: Assist the
anaesthetist during induction and maintenance of anaesthesia.
Recovery Nurse: Responsible for immediate post-op care of the patient, including maintenance of airway,
monitoring of vital signs, observing and managing wound sites and assessing pain level. The recovery nurse
will provide a detailed handover to
ward staff.
Theatre Nurse: Working within their allocated area contributing to all aspects of peri-operative care
Nursing Auxiliary: Assists the nurse in their care of the patient, collects patient from ward for surgery,
returns to ward with post operative patient along with a nurse. The nursing auxiliary will assist in
maintaining a clean and tidy environment within the recovery room.
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Opportunities to spend time with:
Surgical High Dependency Unit (SHDU) provides a longer term critical care for patients who have had
major surgery or have pre-existing medical conditions resulting in them having higher risk of complications.
Care is given at a ratio of one nurse to two patients.
Acute pain nurse is part of the Pain Team: Staffed by consultant anaesthetists and specialist nurses. The
pain team offers guidance on pain management for patients post-operatively
Day Surgery Department provides care for patients undergoing minor surgeries who will be discharged on
the same day.
Objectives for Student Nurse planned programme
During their stay in the Reception/Recovery room, the Student Nurse will have the
opportunity to be involved in: Discuss
Observe
Assist
1. Spending time in Reception assisting with
a) Sending for patients.
b) Checklisting patients.
c) Safe transferring of patients from bed to theatre trolley.
d) Hand-over to theatre personnel.
e) Discuss consent forms and incapacity forms
2. Preparation of a recovery bay for admission of a patient.
3. Completion of recovery documentation.
4. Discuss the need for full & complete nursing records.
5. Care of the patient following:a) Local anaesthetic
b) Sedation.
c) Regional blocks
d) Spinal anaesthetics
e) Epidural anaesthetic.
f) General anaesthetic
g) Local anaesthetic infusions.
6. Maintainance of an unconscious patient’s airway
using the following:a) Guedal airway
b) Laryngeal mask
c) Endotracheal tube (oral)
d) Nasal endotracheal tube
e) Demonstrate the ability to maintain a patent airway using jaw
thrust or chin lift
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Discuss
Observe
Assist
7. Drug Administration;a )Oral
b) IV
c) IM
8. Assisting in post-operative surgical care, including the following:a) Immediate post-operative observations.
b) Management of: -
1. Wounds
2. Drains
3. Dental packs
4. Stomas
5. NG tubes
6. Urimeters
7. I.V. fluids
8. Infected patients
9. Assist with the post-operative care relating to:a) Orthopaedic – elective & trauma
b) Oral
c) ENT
d) Urology
e) Ophthalmology
f) Gynaecology
g) Thyroid
h) Other specialities i.e., vascular
10. Assessment of patient’s pain using the appropriate pain tools and
managed accordingly taking into account what has been given pre
and peri operatively. (drug kardex / anaesthetic sheet)
11. Discuss the use of the following:a) Baxter pump
b) P.C.A.
c) Epidural infusion
d) Arterial line
e) CVP line
f) Diabetic sliding scale
11. Nice guideline no 65 “inadvertent peri-operative hypothermia”
Discuss pre, peri and post operative interventions to keep patients
warm. Discuss the potential complications of peri operative
hypothermia
13.Assist in the care of children in a theatre environment
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Discuss
Observe
Assist
14. Correct moving and handling techniques
a) Risk assessment
b) Safe use of equipment
c) Demonstrate safe manual handling techniques
d) Perform accurate documentation
15. .Demonstrate knowledge of pressure area care and record accurately
in care plan
16. .Perform a post operative visit on a patient that has interested you in
recovery
17. .Demonstrate knowledge on the equipment and its uses on the adult
arrest trolley
18. Infection control:a) Observe preceptor demonstrate correct hand washing
technique.
b) Demonstrate correct hand washing technique.
c) Describe when hand washing should be used.
d) Describe when alcohol rub can be used
e) Describe and demonstrate effective use of personal
protective equipment.
f) Demonstrate correct disposal of linen.
g) Demonstrate the safe and correct method of handling and
disposing of sharps
h) Demonstrate decontamination following a known
infected patient.
i) Demonstrate the correct techniques for cleaning blood and body
fluids
j) Demonstrate correct cleaning techniques for all equipment.
k) Demonstrate correct cleaning of bed space and monitoring
equipment between patient
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STUDENT NURSE/MIDWIFE PLACEMENT EVALUATION
PRACTICE PLACEMENT:
DATE:
STUDENT STAGE OF TRAINING:
1. Did you access any information about the placement and the learning opportunities offered
before you commenced this placement?
YES
 NO 
If yes, how did you do this? ………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Do you feel that this placement was appropriate to your learning needs?
YES
 NO

If not, please explain ……………………………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Did you have access to the Quality Standards for Practice Placements (NES 2008)?
YES
 NO 
4. What aspects of this placement did you enjoy?
Staff attitude Knowledgeable staff
Learning Environment Placement Leadership
Learning Opportunities
Please comment……………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. What aspects of this placement did you least enjoy?
Staff attitude Lack of knowledgeable staff
Learning Environment Placement Leadership
Learning Opportunities
Please comment………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………...
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6. Were you orientated to the clinical area as per the guide in your OAR? YES 
Within which timescale was this done?
24 HRS 
48HRS 
7. Did the staff make you feel welcome as part of the team?
1 WEEK 
YES

NO 
LONGER 
NO

NO

Please comment ………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
8. Were you supported by a named mentor responsible for your assessment?
YES 
9. Were you supervised directly and/or indirectly by a mentor for at least 40% of the placement?
YES 
NO

10. Were you provided with a team approach regarding your mentoring?
YES 
NO

11. If you had any concerns, did you feel able to raise these with your mentor or any other
members of the team?
YES 
NO

Please explain …………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
12. Do you feel you received a fair and timely assessment including:
Interim Assessment 
Final Assessment

13. Did you receive progressive feedback during your placement?
YES

NO

14. Please feel free to give any other comments that you feel relevant to your learning experience:
……...……………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………............................................
……………………………………………………………………………………………………....................................................
Please return to;
Your mentor or any member of the team. Alternatively you can send it to;
Sandra Kinnear Practice Education Facilitator
Room 111, 1st Floor Hayfield House VHK, Hayfield Road, Kirkcaldy. KY2 5AH
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