Abstract

The scrub role during surgery is clearly important and is currently dominated by nurses and operating department practitioners (ODPs). Recently, there has been discussion about whether this role could be undertaken by healthcare support workers (HCSWs). This article by Martin Hind reports on a survey of operating theatre nurses, where little support was found for allowing HCSWs to develop into a scrubbed role. The professional and legal issues to role boundaries are also discussed and the article illustrates that, despite the lack of nursing support for such a development, the issue is far from resolved. Recommendations are made for further discussion and deliberation as well as a review of all roles within the operating department.