Getting Around the OR

Anesthesia team: - Anesthesiologist — physician who completed anesthesiology training. - Resident / fellow — physician in (or doing advanced) anesthesia training. - AA / CRNA — anesthesiologist assistant or certified registered nurse anesthetist; specialized anesthesia providers. - Anesthesia technician — turns rooms over, maintains equipment, an extra set of hands. - Students / observers — you.

Surgical team: - Surgeon — runs the operation. - Circulating nurse — patient care, not scrubbed in. - Scrub nurse / scrub tech (first assist) — scrubbed in, assists the surgeon.

A useful framing: the anesthesia team has three patients — the patient on the table, the surgeon, and the OR team. Keeping all three happy and safe is the job.

Sterile instruments are laid out on draped tables and stands. The quickest way to get sent out of a room is to contaminate them.

• Steer clear of instrument tables and the scrubbed team; don't brush the surgeon or scrub tech.
• When you open sterile supplies (ETT, LMA), open the package but don't lay the contents on a non-sterile surface.
• Keep your own anesthesia area clean — don't drop wrappers and trash on the floor.

You're working to make a good impression — those who fit in get to do more.

• Listen more than you talk; develop situational awareness. Some rooms are chatty, some are silent — match the culture, and keep questions to a minimum when things are tense.
• Be respectful to everyone — it takes the whole team to run an OR.
• The anesthesia–surgeon relationship is symbiotic: they need you to operate, you need them for cases. Being rude, loud, glued to your phone, or complaining about case length earns you nothing. Build good relationships and they'll take care of you.