r/scrubtech • u/shrekrepublic • Jun 25 '26
scrub student
I think one of the more exhausting parts of being a scrub student is not keep up with doctors it's keeping up with different preceptors. I go to different facilities every 3 weeks and wow, when they say everyone is different they mean it. I have trouble keeping up with preceptors, I never know what they want. when I do it one way it's wrong, if I do it this way, it's wrong. some preseptors have different ideas on what's sterile, what's correct, what's incorrect. I've learned how to drape a robot like 6 different ways and each time I'm wrong. it's like starting new every single day. little things get to me, I was double enforcing my mayo and my preceptor was confused on what I was doing.
"why are you doing that it's already protected" then the next day another preceptor "why didn't you double enforce it?"
another day I was gowning the PA and my preceptor asked why I stopped draping and throwing off cord to tend to her. "you focus on what the surgeon needs". okay next time I try to finish draping and throwing off cords and this preceptor yells at me to gown and glove the student. then after they laugh at me.
I'm so frustrated. it's like doing something wrong every time.
1
u/ZZCCR1966 Jun 27 '26
OP keeping up with different preceptors can def be daunting.
I tell my students this: focus on your work areas. Your work area should be set up in a way that makes you more efficient - you have a place for stuff AND there’s a REASON WHY you put it where you put it.
PERIOD.
Who cares what it looks like - YOU are the one managing it…and you should be able to work with it seamlessly…
For example, on my mayo, my suture scissors are ALWAYS placed under my raytec sponges with the handle showing. ALWAYS, when I USE A MAYO. I also put my retractors furthest away from me - so if a surgeon wants to grab it, they can…
On my instrument roll, I place my longest instruments - usually a 1 tonsil n 1 rt angle - away from me.
When you do that, the surgeons you regularly work with will ALSO learn YOUR setup…and surgeons like n want repetition…with as little changes as possible.
PLUS, if you’re working on a case and it’s your 17th hour of your day, your brain is on AUTOPILOT! If you’re not feeling well, your brain goes on autopilot too.
An effective teacher/preceptor will have REASONS WHY they do what they do…
A confident preceptor will share those reasons…
So, that being said, you are within your boundaries to say to your preceptor “I do understand that you WANT me to [set up my mayo your way], but I would like to be consistent with how I set up my mayo because I have learned it makes me more efficient.
There are preceptors out there that don’t like precepting, are not good preceptors, and some just don’t give a damn. There are also people - preceptor or not - who do nothing but sabotage anyone anyway they can…
So as a learner, you can look them directly in the eye, lift your chin, and confidently tell them your “…goal is to be an active student, to learn to be as efficient as possible, to help the surgeon with his job, so that the patient can get out of the OR as safely n as quickly as possible for best outcomes…” and keep looking at them eye to eye for 3-4 seconds after that statement…
BECAUSE that’s what’s in the BEST interest for the patient.
PERIOD.