Analogies make it easier for all of us normal folks to relate to complex things. For instance, if you are a surgical resident, the operating room (OR) will be like your football stadium. You will experience triumphs and severe defeats but in the end, hopefully you will nail the Super Bowl and end up being the bomb.com when it comes to surgery.

Maybe the closest you have ever come to the operating room is watching Grey’s Anatomy. While that steamy drama offers some nice couch entertainment, the real deal is a little different, and you probably won’t run into Meredith Grey or Dr. McSteamy. If you are about to dive into this operative world, you are going to want to have a few pearls up your scrub sleeves. My chosen analogy for the OR is to think of it as the ocean. Now, the ocean can be a really scary place if we go all Jaws with the comparison, or it can be more pleasant, like Finding Nemo. The point is, much like the ocean, the OR can be a fantastical world full of intrigue and positive messages such as “keep on swimming,” or it can be the place of your blood-in-the-water demise. Yikes! That’s dramatic. Either way, let’s get to know your operating neighbors.

This will be your first stop on your way into the OR. I like to think of the scrub sink as the tiny shrimp on the ocean floor. If you just patiently place your hands on the sandy bottom while diving in the ocean, these little guys and gals will scurry out of their holes and start cleaning your fingernails. A few things to know about the sink: it will likely either be motion- or foot pedal-activated (no knobs to turn) (Figure 7.1). If you have never scrubbed in before, ask someone to walk you through the process. It can seem a little awkward the first few times. The great thing about the sink is that it won’t yell or make fun of you. And if you mess up your first try at scrubbing, you simply start again. Just keep swimming…

The circulator nurse is like a sailfish (extremely fast). This person darts around making sure the room is appropriately stocked with whatever is needed to make the surgical case go swiftly and smoothly. Many of these guys/gals have been around since before you were in diapers, and this means she/he knows more than you. You should know that before walking into the room. Always respect their space and their time because they are very busy and will be darting from the computer to the shelves to the OR table like a sailfish on Adderall. Be sure to introduce yourself to the circulator before scrubbing in and write your name on the whiteboard in the room (Figure 7.2) so that the circulator knows who you are. Always offer to grab your own gown and gloves off the shelf to hand to the scrub tech (see below). But remember that if you’ve not done this before, ask for help so that you can maintain sterility.