A nurse is assisting with a surgical procedure that involves suturing a wound. Which of the following statements should the nurse make to the surgeon when handing a suture needle?

Choice A reason:

Assisting with surgical procedures is not a function of the circulating nurse, but of the scrub nurse or the surgical assistant. The circulating nurse is responsible for coordinating the care of the patient in the operating room and ensuring a safe environment.

Choice B reason:

Counting instruments and sponges is a function of both the scrub nurse and the circulating nurse. They work together to ensure that no foreign objects are left inside the patient or on the sterile field.

Choice C reason:

Documenting events and interventions is a function of the circulating nurse. The circulating nurse records all relevant information about the patient's condition, the surgical procedure, the anesthesia administration, and any specimens collected.

Choice D reason:

Administering anesthesia and monitoring vital signs is not a function of the circulating nurse, but of the anesthesia care provider (ACP) The ACP is responsible for assessing the patient's health status, selecting and administering the appropriate anesthetic agent, and monitoring the patient's response to anesthesia.

Choice E reason:

Maintaining surgical asepsis and sterile technique is a function of both the scrub nurse and the circulating nurse. The scrub nurse maintains a sterile field by wearing sterile attire, handling sterile instruments and supplies, and preventing contamination. The circulating nurse maintains asepsis by monitoring the sterile field, checking for breaks in technique, and obtaining additional items as needed.

Choice A reason:

This is incorrect because a curved needle with a cutting edge is used for general closure of skin, subcutaneous tissue, and other tissues that are tough or difficult to penetrate A cutting edge needle has a triangular point that can cause more tissue damage and scarring than a tapered point needle.

Choice B reason:

This is incorrect because a straight needle with a tapered point is used for easily accessible tissues, such as mucous membranes, gastrointestinal tract, or blood vessels A tapered point needle has a round body that gradually tapers to a point, allowing it to pierce through tissues without cutting them.

Choice C reason:

This is correct because a half-circle needle with a reverse cutting edge is used for suturing at sites that have limited space and require precise placement of stitches, such as ophthalmic, plastic, or cardiovascular surgery A reverse cutting edge needle has a triangular point with the cutting edge on the outer convex curvature of the needle, which helps prevent the suture from tearing through the tissue.

Choice D reason:

This is incorrect because an eyed needle with a blunt point is used for suturing tissues that are easy to separate, such as liver, kidney, or spleen A blunt point needle has a round body that ends in a blunt tip, which pushes aside the tissue fibers rather than cutting them An eyed needle has an eye at the end of the needle where the suture thread is inserted, which can cause more drag and tissue trauma than a swaged needle that has the suture attached to the end of the needle.