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 names
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 surgion/practioner need to also
be on the consent form." They describe signicant tasks to include opening and
closing, harvesting grafts, dissecting tissue, removing tissue, implanting
devises, and altering tissues. I don't usually get people ready for the OR so I
hope someone can give me some quidance.

On the consents the Doc performing the surgery is always listed. Some of the
Docs have another Doc help them, may have a first assistant, their own PA, or
scrub tech. These people like techs may do things like close the wound. 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?

Pam Ellcio, RN, BSN, CPAN, LNC




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