Prepare and maintain the environment and equipment ready for veterinary surgical procedures

This standard covers preparing and maintaining the environment and equipment ready for veterinary surgical procedures. You will need to be able to prepare and maintain the surgical environment, including preparation rooms, operating theatres, equipment and materials.

This standard is suitable for registered veterinary nurses.

1. assess the risks to the health and safety of yourself and colleagues in the veterinary surgical environment
2. select and wear the required clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) for working in the veterinary surgical environment
3. use the required hand hygiene technique
4. select and implement the required veterinary practice infection control procedures relevant to the area of the veterinary practice you are working in
5. keep the veterinary surgical environment aseptic ready for veterinary surgical procedures
6. maintain the sterility of yourself and those involved in the preparation and maintenance of the environment and equipment
7. maintain and store surgical equipment and materials in accordance with veterinary practice procedures
8. maintain sterility of the surgical field
9. clean and sterilise surgical equipment and instruments
10. use the required veterinary practice sterilisation method
11. confirm the required surgical equipment and materials with the veterinary surgeon
12. prepare the surgical equipment and materials according to the veterinary practice procedures
13. place surgical equipment and materials in the required position to support the veterinary surgical procedure
14. provide the veterinary surgeon and members of the veterinary practice using the veterinary surgical environment with the relevant information on the veterinary surgical procedure
15. control the environmental conditions to suit the veterinary patient's condition and requirements and the type of veterinary surgical procedure being undertaken
16. inform colleagues of any difficulties in providing equipment and materials in accordance with the veterinary practice procedures
17. comply with relevant regulations and guidelines, relating to the use of surgical equipment and materials, at all times
18. remove surplus and waste materials, and gases from the surgical environment and dispose of them according to relevant regulatory requirements and veterinary practice procedures
19. carry out your work in accordance with the relevant environmental and health and safety legislations, risk assessment requirements, codes of practice and business policies

1. how to assess the risks to the health and safety of yourself and colleagues in the veterinary surgical environment
2. how to select the required clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) for working in the veterinary surgical environment
3. the required hand hygiene techniques and veterinary practice infection control procedures relevant to the area of the veterinary practice you are working in
4. how to clean different types of veterinary surgical environment
5. the methods available to clean and sterilise equipment and instruments
6. how to maintain sterile environments within a veterinary surgical environment
7. the equipment and materials used for different veterinary surgical procedures and why it is important to obtain guidance from veterinary surgeon about these
8. the preparation requirements of different types of veterinary surgical equipment and materials
9. the preparation requirements and use of suction equipment
10. where surgical equipment and materials should be positioned for different veterinary surgical procedures
11. the types of information required for veterinary surgical procedures
12. the environmental conditions that should exist for different types of surgical procedure
13. the faults that occur in veterinary surgery equipment that have an effect on their functioning, reliability, safety and effectiveness and the actions to take to rectify or report them
14. the types of faults that can occur in materials, including damaged packaging, deterioration and contamination
15. the relevant regulations and guidelines relating to the use of surgical equipment and materials
16. the surplus and waste materials, and gases from the surgical environment and how to deal with each of these
17. your professional responsibilities as a registered veterinary nurse
18. your responsibility under the relevant environmental and health and safety legislations, codes of practice and business policies

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