Sterile Procedures

So... yesterday I realized I have a problem.

For any of you who know what sterile technique is, this may make more sense. For those of who don't, here's a short explanation. Sterile technique is used in any medical procedure that needs to be "sterile." = SUPER SUPER SUPER clean. To limit possibility of infection, basically. So sterile technique includes a strict scrub of the hands up to the elbows (like you've seen on shows like Grey's Anatomy or the like), with ya know, three times back and forth on each side of the finger. Yes, your fingers have four sides. And then a very strict way of holding the hands, only touching other sterile things, walking with your back towards anything unsterile, etc. It's pretty crazy. And of course, it's ALWAYS used with the utmost strictness for surgery.

And yesterday I was in surgery.

And I had a killer view. The two eye surgeons were sitting down, kind of at corners of the head of the bed. (or surgery table, whatever) And I stood in between them, UN-STERILE, (and of course a few inches back) looking right over the work they were doing. It was AMAZING!! Ahh, talk about cool. Maybe that's why I was an anatomy TA for so long--I have a sick fascination with any parts of the body, and how they work, and what they look like. Anyway, tangent. Sorry.

So back to my problem.

I'm sitting there, with the perfect bird's eye view, and all I want to do is mess up the sterile field. Crazy, right??? I kept thinking, "What if I just tossed something over on that sterile table that the surgical tech is keeping the tools on?" Or... "What if I just pointed, with my bare finger, down in that eye and asked the surgeon a question, like it was nothing?" haha, I get a kick even thinking about it. And I KNOW just how messed up that is.

Oh gosh, I have a problem.

It's seriously a huge temptation when you're there. You sitting there, with all the means of ruining this perfect, time-consuming-to-set-up sterile field.

I mean, I would never do it, OF COURSE.
And to any future employers: please disregard this whole post. It's all a lie.

It just needed to be told. Maybe now I won't feel so guilty.