Journal of perioperative practice
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The structure of theatre management should ensure that the patient receives the most appropriate care available, with every team member knowing their role and their expected contribution in order to meet the needs of the patient. Inter-professional healthcare is an integral feature of the NHS and this article will focus on the interaction and teamwork experienced in the theatre department between qualified nurses and qualified operating department practitioners (ODPs) and the perceived differences and similarities in their roles both historically and in future practice. Taylor and Campbell (1999) state the operating department is unique in that various members of the multidisciplinary teams are all present at the same time and work together for the successful completion of the perioperative period of care. Anonymous clinical examples have been used to highlight certain points and to illustrate the differing roles of the perioperative staff.
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The mechanical ventilation of patients within postanaesthetic care units (PACUs) is a practice that clinicians have experienced and assisted with for several years. The author's own clinical area, a PACU serving a large theatre suite, has recently seen provisions put in place to cater specifically for critically ill patients who require mechanical ventilation. The majority of patients requiring intervention are those that are in the immediate postoperative stage of their care, however patients from all wards and departments within the Trust, as well as those admitted through the accident and emergency department, are also accepted.