As an RN circulator, OR nurse Shirley Brown, RN, protects patients from harm and helps ensure procedures run smoothly.

"I've always been a nurse, always taken care of family - [even] when I was young," said Brown, who has worked at Lakeland Regional Medical Center for more than 40 years. "I like everything about nursing. The day-to-day grind doesn't bother me. I enjoy taking care of people and learning about changes in technology."

Patient Advocate

Typically, Brown greets her patients in the holding area, explaining the procedure and what they can expect before, during and after surgery. As an RN circulator, she is the primary advocate for her patients. She helps verify the right procedure is scheduled for the right patient at the right site.

Throughout each procedure, Brown keeps the environment safe, monitoring aspects of patient care from sterility to patient positioning. She is educated in patient assessment and evaluation, identifying nursing diagnosis, and care planning and implementation.

Prior to each procedure, Brown must ensure all the necessary supplies are in the OR and functioning properly. She studies each case file, checking the patient's record for proper consent forms, results of relevant lab work and other elements necessary for surgery to occur.

'Robotic Specialist'

"Shirley is also our robotic specialist," said OR manager Mary Beth Perry, MSN, RN. "She was our first nurse to be trained in robotics [the daVinci system] and also has trained other nurses."

Among the biggest changes Brown has seen since she joined the hospital in 1966: technology and nursing responsibilities.

"[Improvements in procedures and technology] mean greater responsibilities for OR nurses," Brown continued. "We have a much more collaborative relationship with physicians, and there is more complex and a wider variety of equipment."

When asked how she would have responded if someone told her - as a young nurse - robots would one day appear in the OR, she replied, "I think I would've smiled, but never imagined it would happen in my time."