Üsküdar Üniversitesi Vocational School of Health Services organized the event “Operating Room and Career Planning in the Operating Room from the Perspective of an Operating Room Nurse”. The event, moderated by Lect. Nelis Bosnalı from Üsküdar Üniversitesi Operating Room Services Program, featured Lect. Ayfer Kaya, Head of Üsküdar Üniversitesi Operating Room Services Program, and Surgical Operating Room Nurse Nihal Sayar Sezen as speakers. Sezen, speaking about the team spirit in operating rooms, said; “We need to be in harmony in teamwork; we can imagine the operating room team as a symphony orchestra.”
“We can imagine the operating room team as a symphony orchestra”
Nihal Sayar Sezen, speaking about the team spirit in the operating room, said; “When doing a job, there must first be an assigned responsible person. There is a working group and a team formed by them. When we say team, there is no superior profession. Every profession and duty is sacred. The important thing is to do our best, no matter what we do. Team rings consist of strong chains, and if one of the rings breaks, the chain will not be functional. We need to be in harmony in teamwork; we can imagine the operating room team as a symphony orchestra. Each team member performs a different task in harmony, ensuring a perfect result. We call this 'Beyond Miracle' among ourselves.”
“The right team equals a good surgical intervention”
Sezen, stating that the professional knowledge and skills of team members should be continuously developed, said; “Team members should be curious and willing. They should use their hands quickly and skillfully, be responsible, courageous, able to make correct and fast decisions, and manage crisis situations. An operating room nurse should have developed hand-eye coordination and be able to stand for a long time. The right team equals a good surgical intervention. With teamwork, our job satisfaction, motivation, productivity, positive approach, and confidence increase, while stress and errors decrease. With teamwork, health team members better understand their roles. The development of members and their communication with each other increases. A better working environment is created. Less supervision of team members is required. A synergistic effect is created among team members. Effective use of resources is achieved. Professionally, no profession is superior or inferior to another. Every profession is valuable, and professions should be respected. For teamwork to exist, there must first be an understanding and belief in teamwork. Full belief in teamwork will bring success and increase efficiency.” she stated.
“A minimum of 6 months is required for an operating room nurse to participate in an operation”
Sezen gave information for those planning a career in the operating room; “A minimum of 6 months is required for an operating room nurse to participate in a moderate-level operation. This is a great effort for both the training and the trainee nurse. Both sides have great effort and sacrifices. You cannot start directly as a specialty nurse. Of course, in theory, we know the theoretical knowledge before graduating from faculty, but working in the field is truly a master-apprentice relationship. Theory certainly supports practice, but no matter how much theoretical knowledge you have, your practical skills must also be good. When the two are combined, you take the first step towards becoming an excellent operating room nurse.” she expressed.
“An operating room nurse is a student throughout their life”
Sezen stated that working in the operating room is not a job that can be done without passion; “One must be willing. Continuous renewal is necessary. 'I'll go into surgery, hand out a couple of instruments, stand for two hours, and then leave' is not our job. Our job is to constantly develop, to follow innovations. It's about communication with companies. It's about communication with the team and the instructor, supporting them with your knowledge. Surgery is a passion, and the branch of this passion is operating room nursing. We are apprentices of an art in which no one can ever be a master. What we know is perhaps nothing compared to the unknown. Humanity will never achieve complete knowledge. But humanity will constantly develop and learn new information. An operating room nurse is a student throughout their life. They learn new things throughout their life, and these learned things benefit us. That's why we must constantly learn. We must follow new information, new developments, new technologies.” she said.