Medical Technical Officer

You can call this a new developed position, Healthcare Assistant if you wish.

The New title for those seeking a position within an operating theatre is, Medical Technical Officer Support ODP2

These positions are becoming more widely popular within a Hospital Operating Theatre. Not like the 2 year training for a level 2 ODP which you do need O, levels for and now mostly come straight from university with no life experiences at all. But this is a good starter for anyone considering working in an operating theatre you are well trained and you need to have some of these basic skills first to be confident enough to carry out the basic tasks. I do feel sorry for those who enter from university into such a brutal place. To put it bluntly!

Yes, you may have all the mental knowledge and o levels but you need the practical skills before you even consider it at all. Training consists of a 12 month NVQ level 2. Which is very enjoyable and this course is designed to gently move you into life within an operating theatre?

Pay is very good because the position stands between Health Care Assistant and a Theatre Technician. So you can see you play a more technical role.

Imagine this life of all competencies, Obstetrics and Gynaecology is my domain.

Yes, I Help to deliver many babies everyday and once you have witnessed this. You will certainly have the wow factor. Other competencies include Urology, Ear Nose Throat, General and Orthopaedics, Bones to you and many other operations that can come through the door. No day is the same!!

This role can be very demanding and very tiring not only from the physical side and mentally, but also from Anaesthetic machine, you are yourself without knowing it being anaesthetised most of the day. But only small amounts!

But enough to make you tired before the shift is done. By the second day you have become accustomed to it.

Technical it is! And the rewards you get from being in such a prime position are tremendous.

Life working in an Operating Theatre is quite amazing; working with so many very skillful, talented people working with some of the best surgeons and anaesthetists in the country and to watch them is awesome.

You need to be part of a team and be able to take criticism and to be shouted at by the surgeon, but remembering you too deserve some respect, you must remember that you are doing this job for the person who is having the operation not yourself. Think! It could be your relative! It is a fine line for you to take everything personally that's because the surgeon can get very irate, simply because He too is concentrating and he needs everything to go as smoothly as possible. You need the ability to say I do not know and most important ask! It is very wrong to say you know the answer but too nervous to say any other, most important is Communication and to be a Team player is paramount within an Operating Theatre.

There's no more of a true word spoken when applying for a position in health. They always ask you if you, if you have any experience. You cannot take this lightly.

If you do not have these life experiences in dealing with the public then you will find it very hard at first, but you need to start somewhere like anyone else does, so start at the bottom and work your way up. But please do not let me dissuade you from a career within the Theatre Department or Hospital life

When you are successful and find your forte working in Care; the hardest thing you will ever, ever find is leaving! So don't join up if you are planning a short stop over.

My first day in theatres, I did not dare move an inch. Seeing an operation for the first time was quite scary.

every day we start at 0900 The first task is to establish whether all the patients have arrived, are they in their beds; Do we have an anesthetists; Do we have a surgeon; Do we have the technician to help the anesthetist; Do we have the nursing team; do they have me.

My next task is to set up the theatre for the morning's work,

Dealing with Laparoscopic camera equipment and much more technical machinery

Assembling sets for our cases, counting our instruments and quantities in each set ranging from 1-6 sets per patient, these can be large.

So finally we have a patient.

We work closely with the surgeons and anesthetists to ensure every avenue has been covered before we start any case, Information about the patient's age, mobility Allergies, medication, culture, and sex. Most important have they not eaten for 7 hrs prior to their operation, Do they have the necessary equipment attached.

From now this is team playing and every eye is kept on the person to ensure every minute detail has been covered. Are they safe! Etc.

Preferences for the surgeon, preferences for the anesthetists lets face it it's the anesthetists who says yes carry on or no we have found that the patient has been chewing gum or smoking, unfortunately this is a No, No!, Along with other contributors.

Stock replenishment and plenty of it, there are many tasks and sometimes it takes up to 1 hr just to get the green light.

So when the patient is on the receiving end and enters that horrible theatre it seems like 2 seconds and before you knows it you're awake again but in much pain, wondering where I am. What as happened. Yes, you are now in recovery and the team take care of you until you are well enough to be returned to the ward this is one of many stages in the life of theatre. From here to the ward and another team, the good old fashion dedicated nurse takes care of you with minimal staff but still maintaining one hundred per cent care.

Every one who enters these doors, suddenly their brains are turned into mush and we have to deal with this in order to keep them calm throughout. They need to be calm for the operation. They are very apprehensive, let's face it their life is in our hands.

anesthetic does carry risks. We are dealing with someone's airway.

Communication is paramount within an operating theatre.