Understanding the role of the scrub nurse during robotic surgery
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Understanding the role of the scrub nurse during robotic surgery

Bradley Russell Surgical care practitioner, Urology, The Royal Marsden Hospital, Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To enhance your awareness of the latest developments in surgery, including robotic techniques

  • To recognise the knowledge and skills required by scrub nurses

  • To understand what the scrub nurse’s role entails during robotic surgery

In the operating theatre, the scrub nurse has a wide range of roles, including responsibility for organising and ensuring that the correct instrumentation is available to the surgeon in the operating field, while maintaining stringent adherence to the principles of asepsis. Robotic techniques have revolutionised many procedures, providing surgeons with improved tissue access and tool control compared with open or laparoscopic techniques. However, adopting this technology has created additional challenges in the scrub nurse’s role in areas such as team dynamics and the need to gather and disseminate vital patient information. This article explores the role of the scrub nurse and the challenges that may be encountered in the developing area of robotic surgery.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2022.e12003

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

Bradley.Russell@rmh.nhs.uk

Conflict of interest

None declared

Russell B (2022) Understanding the role of the scrub nurse during robotic surgery. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2022.e12003

Published online: 28 November 2022

Want to read more?

RCNi-Plus
Already have access? Log in

or

3-month trial offer for £5.25/month

Subscribe today and save 50% on your first three months
RCNi Plus users have full access to the following benefits:
  • Unlimited access to all 10 RCNi Journals
  • RCNi Learning featuring over 175 modules to easily earn CPD time
  • NMC-compliant RCNi Revalidation Portfolio to stay on track with your progress
  • Personalised newsletters tailored to your interests
  • A customisable dashboard with over 200 topics
Subscribe

Alternatively, you can purchase access to this article for the next seven days. Buy now


Are you a student? Our student subscription has content especially for you.
Find out more