How to Visit an Operating Room

In a typical hospital setting, only two kinds of people occupy a hospital operating room: the operative patient and the medical staff attending to the patient's direct medical needs. However, in some specific circumstances, a hospital may allow non-medical staff, such as translators, students and law enforcement officials, to visit an operating room. By carefully planning your visit and following the hospital's strict privacy and hygiene protocols, you can ensure that your visit to an operating room goes smoothly.

Things You'll Need

• Photo ID
• Appropriate operating room attire

Show More

Instructions

• 1

  You must contact the hospital in advance of your operating room visit.

  Contact the hospital in advance and let them know of your intent to visit. Unlike emergency rooms, intensive care units and other hospital rooms, operating rooms do not allow walk-in visitors and typically have strict protocols for visitors. If you're arranging a student visit or school group field trip, let the hospital coordinator know so that she may schedule your visit around times in which the operating room is not in use.

• 2

  Ask the hospital what you will need to bring with you to your visit. Each hospital is different and has different rules and procedures for operating room visits, so ensure that you obtain all the necessary details for your hospital of choice. Write the information down so that it serves as a checklist on the day of your visit.

• 3

  Obtain any necessary permits from the hospital if you are planning to visit the operating room during a live operation. Some hospitals require that all non-medical staff in an operating room must get written permission from the patient on which the staff is performing the operation prior to visiting. This is in compliance with HIPAA and privacy laws, to protect the operative patient from a violation of medical privacy. The hospital may act as a liaison to obtaining the permit, or depending on the circumstances of your visit, you may have to obtain it directly from the patient. Ensure that you have all necessary permits prior to visiting the operating room.

• 4

  Bring your photo identification to your visit. The hospital will almost certainly require it prior to your entering the operating room, and may also require you to wear a hospital-designated name tag.

• 5

  Wear the appropriate operating room attire when entering an operating room. If an operation is in progress, hospital staff will require you to wear surgical clothes to maintain an antiseptic environment. This may include a hair covering, long robes, long vinyl gloves, a surgical face mask that covers the lower half of the face, special protective goggles and surgical coverings for the shoes.

• 6

  Comply with all the hospital's rules and regulations when visiting an operating room. The hospital has likely enacted these procedures to ensure optimum safety, privacy and comfort for patients, staff and visitors. Following all of the rules, no matter how extraneous or cumbersome they may appear, will ensure that your operating room visit goes without a hitch.