Image via WikipediaFollowing on from Part 9.....Did the Theatre Sgt listen to my plea to get out of theatre? Did he help me to leave? Did he hell!!!!!Basically it was along the lines of "you've made your bed, now lie on it." In other words-you are stuck, now get on with it. Once you signed up to become an Operating Theatre Technician, you found out that it was what was known as a Restricted Trade. There WAS no get out of jail free card, this was no monopoly game. So what was a poor boy to do? Correct! GET STUCK IN.
My apprenticeship in the Sluice Room was actually far more instructional than I at first thought it might be. It was an excellent place to start learning the identities of the myriad of instruments available to surgeons of different surgical persuasions. In Tidworth, back in the sixties, those "persuasions" or Specialties, were E.N.T (Otorhinolaryngology), General Surgery, Orthopaedics, Gynae, Dental and Trauma. If I have misssed any from the list, I apologise to any surgeon reading this-please don't be offended, it's nothing personal.
Before proceeding, I must pay my respects to some of the Surgeons who passed through the theatres while I was there. Those that stand out in my mind are, Patrick "Paddy" Dignan, (please see the note at the end of this re: Paddy Dignan) Adrian Boyd, Major Owen-Smith and "Pop" Reid. Each was outstanding and a pathfinder in a way, within their specialties, without whom surgery and research in general, may not have benefitted.
I should not forget the Anaesthetists. I remember Col. Cardew, Anthony Booth and Jeremiah Leahy amongst others. They worked very hard, not just in their efforts to stabilise patients and have them ready for surgery at exactly the right moment, allowing surgery to continues non-stop until lists were finished, but to ensure that trainee Technicians benefitted during their formative days in theatre. Col Cardew and Anthony Booth were especially helpful with training.
Now I've mentioned the above, I really must mention the Theatre Sisters. I mentioned three of them in an earlier part of this Blog. The outstanding Sister, in my humble opinion, was Mary Challis. I found her to be strict in her approach to performance and behaviour as well as turn out in theatre. Most of all however, she made sure that training was delivered as required, but even more than that, she ensured that it was received by the individuals learning the trade, by questioning us trainees and ensuring we were on the ball. I sometimes despair that this ensuring that training has been received and validated does not always occur these days.
I'll move forward now, leaving the housework period behind us. Just before I do, I would admit that, just as in the nursing training, if you don't get that background work right, the treatment delivered to each patient might not succeed without infection. Cleanliness IS the key.
After three months the level of Operating Theatre Technician, Class 3 had been achieved. Looking back it doesn't seem to have been much of an achievement, but at that time-I felt good about myself, knowing that I had indeed stuck to the task despite my early misgivings.
One of the advantages of having trained as an Army Nurse, was that a very good knowledge of anatomy and physiology had been gained during that former training. This helped dramatically when surgeons "talked" a trainee through a procedure. It certainly helped knowing the relationship of one internal organ to another when an appendicectomy or other abdominal procedure was being described. Part of the training for Part Two of the three level full qualification, included scrubbing up and just standing at the operating table. (This, apart from, at first anyway, making one feel like a spare appendage at the wedding of a lady of the night, was exceptionally helpful in getting used to scrubbing up and learning to respect the "sterile field") I spent many a time just standing behind the surgeon listening carefully to what was being talked about. Surprisingly enough, not all of what was being discussed was concerning the case in hand!!! Having signed the Official Secrets Act upon joining the Army, I knew not to discuss the details of the latest bit of "gossip" picked up at the table.
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Next time-more of life at the table, and the dangers of not paying attention!!!
Re: Patrick "Paddy" Dignan. He has written a book, "A Doctors Experiences Of Life." by Patrick Dignan.I would reccomend this to anyone who knew him, as well as to those who would like to know of his life as an Army surgeon. It is published by The Pentland Press Limited. ISBN 1 85821 136 0
I got my copy via Amazon, but can be obtained via other reputable booksellers.
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