Typical day as a ST

I was just wondering what the work day is like as a ST? I'm considering getting in to this field. My only concern is that I am a bodybuilder and I require at least one large meal in a 8 hour shift and a fair amount of pee breaks. Do STs get a solid lunch break? What happens if you need to pee during a surgery? Thanks in advance!

Of course you can always count on ample potty breaks and a nice lengthy lunch/dinner and snack breaks throughout your work day in the OR, surgeons are especially pleased to make sure that all of your nutritional and bodily functions are properly maintained so that you can tweak your physique.

I thought you might like an intelligent reply to your question.
In California, I'm not sure if it's the same everywhere, by law you must have a lunch break by your 6th hour of working. We also have unions here and their requirement is a 15 minute break in the morning and another in the afternoon to go along with that lunch break.
Now, in reality, there will be surgeons who prefer that there are no personnel interruptions during a long case but, that may be their preference, the law and the union requirements superscede that request. Now, you won't be able to run out to the potty whenever you feel like it and you will need to develop a stronger bladder or, not go into the O.R. in this capacity.

Wow!! I want to work where you all work because I go quite often in an 8 hour shift only pottying one time and that is on my 30 minute lunch break. We are supposed to get a 15 minute break also on an 8 hour shift. Does that happen? NO!!! I have also went days with no lunch break and no pee break. Its not very pleasant sometimes.

Sounds like we've worked in the same ORs Browneyed. The best experience I have is the day that I was 24 weeks pregnant. I was in a case for over 6 hours without any sort of break, oh and if it matters, it wasn't a sit down case. Sure there are laws that employers are supposed to follow, but that does not guarantee that they will. Almost always, staffing is the issue and lack of relief is often the biggest reason disgruntled employees have. Resulting in them either quitting their job or their coworkers wishing that they would.

You should report them to the labor boards in your state. They take these things seriously. It's not like we're helpless in this situation. In fact, out here there are rules that your pay increases exponentially when these violations occur.

Ryan in Richmond, Virginia said: I was just wondering what the work day is like as a ST? I'm considering getting in to this field. My only concern is that I am a bodybuilder and I require at least one large meal in a 8 hour shift and a fair amount of pee breaks. Do STs get a solid lunch break? What happens if you need to pee during a surgery? Thanks in advance!

Depending on where you work the law requires that you get a lunch break. Typically you will be relieved for lunch or break between cases. Until you get more experienced you'll probably not scrub any 8 hr cases. But if you do, I have seen surgeons pee on themselves. Surgery centers tend to be more fast paced than hospitals in the amount of surgerys performed in a period of time. So that would allow you to run to the restroom from time to time. The problem with surgery centers is some you don't get a full lunch break you just kind of snack in between cases. That's my experience anyway I work for both a hospital and surgery center. Good luck!

Jenifer E in Fredericksburg, Virginia said: Of course you can always count on ample potty breaks and a nice lengthy lunch/dinner and snack breaks throughout your work day in the OR, surgeons are especially pleased to make sure that all of your nutritional and bodily functions are properly maintained so that you can tweak your physique.

your an idiot