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A typical shift

Arrive before the surgeon. Read the case list and the preference cards, then open the sterile supplies and set up the tables in the order you will need them. Scrub, gown and glove. Once the case starts you watch the field, anticipate the next instrument and hand it over without being asked. Count every sponge and needle before the surgeon closes, and count again after. Break down, restock, and do it again with the next patient. A day can be six short cases or one that runs eight hours.