Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?

Time.

There is a lot of talk about time in the OR.

How long until my break?

How long until the room is turned over?

How long to count at the cavity closure?

How long as (the desired) circulator been on break?

How long to get the patient back to the room?

How long to go to sleep/get the spinal?

How long to properly process the instrument I just dropped?

How long if we just flash it?

But the biggest is how much longer after prep before I can drape?

Same as the last four hundred sixty five thousand thirty two times you asked.

Chloraprep takes 3 minutes to dry.

There will be no draping before then.

Yeah, I know it feels like it takes forever.

I could have a rude joke here. But I don’t do that. You’re just going to have to imagine it.

If I, as the circulator, were to allow you to drape prior to the chloraprep being dry, what would be the consequences.

Fire.

Burns.

You see, it all comes down to patient safety.

I prefer to keep the patient safe, no matter what time your flight takes off, no matter your tee time, no matter that your significant other is holding dinner.

Patient safety is my paramount concern.

And it should be yours.

The tech will only give you the drapes/square off towels after the 3 minutes are up. And arguing only kind of makes the time go faster and most likely serves to irritate you and me.

Oh, look.

We’ve used up 90 seconds already.

You seen any good movies lately, doc?