Question

List several reasons why a surgical technologist might need to communicate with the diagnostic imaging department, medical laboratory department, or a medical-surgical floor nurse.

Answer 1

During the course of providing treatment the surgical technologist will be required to interact with individuals from other departments. The surgical technologist might need to interact with people from patient care units, diagnostics imaging department, pathology department, blood bank, pharmacy, maintenance and biomed, medical records, administration, and infection control among others.

The surgical technologist might need to communicate with the diagnostic imaging department for obtaining preoperative diagnostic studies, communication of studies and diagnostic findings to operation room, interoperative studies, stereotactic assistance and postoperative studies.

The surgical technologist might need to communicate with the medical laboratory department for obtaining preoperative diagnostic studies, communication of studies and diagnostic findings to operation room, and interoperative studies (e.g., blood gases, electrolytes).

The surgical technologist might need to communicate with a medical-surgical floor nurse for informed consent, patient transportation to and from the operating room, postoperative recovery and care, and coordination of information for family.