I'm an LNC and continue to work in recovery room. One of the places I work
just got dinged on a Medicare inspection about op consents. Medicare said
"that name of the practioner performing the procedure(s) or important aspects
of
the procedure, as well as the name(s)and specific surgical tasks that will be
conducted by practioners other than the primary surgeon/practioner need to
also be on the consent form." They describe significant tasks to include
opening and closing, harvesting grafts, dissecting tissue, removing tissue,
implanting devices, and altering tissues. I don't usually get people ready for
the
OR so I hope someone can give me some guidance.

On the consents the Doc performing the surgery is always listed along the
name of any other doctor that assists. But if the doctor has a first assistant,
their own PA, or scrub tech, these people are not listed. They may do
things like close the wound,etc. The consent says, "I authorize Dr. So and So
and
such assistants as may be selected by him/her to perform the above surgery."
Does this cover it? How does this work where hospitals have residents? I've
checked several places in Las Vegas and their consents are also like this and
have had no problems.

Thanks for any input,

Pam Ellcio, RN, BSN, CPAN, LNC






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