Surgery And Wearing A Turban?

[Guest hello]

Can you wear a turban when scrubbing in for surgery? sorry, i didn't really know where to put this. Also, are they hats that you have to wear big enough to put over your turban

Thank you

[Guest **]

Hi

why not? im a med student and whenever im in the operating room in the surgeries and actually assisting in them, i have my dastaar on.. you just cover it with the same stretchy cap that most surgeons wear, it is very big it covers my dastaar completely even though my dastaar is pretty big..

noone can strip you of your religious rights, you just have to be sterile when u are in the operating room, as long as you can cover your dastaar ( which you def can with the surgery caps) then you are good.

here is kind of the one i wear, and most others wear too:

http://www.mssurgical.in/surgeon-cap.htm

there are different sizes and i obviously choose the large size..

there

[Guest hello]

THANK YOU!!!! what about kara? i can put that in my dastaar if i can't wear it. But i shall def. try and wear it.

[Guest Guest]

You dont really need to wear anything to cover your dastar in surgery, unless infection is a serious issue eg orthopaedics. Iv even helped with procedures just wearing a facemask, nothing covering dastar. You can find a kara that is big enough to fit above the elbow and wear that.

[Wicked Warrior]

Orthopaedic hoods fit the dastaar better than the other theatre caps. The standard surgicals may be too small.

Ideally, you should have a dastaar that you wear only in theatre and keep in a locker at work. Not practical unless you have a locker!

I would keep the kara in my pocket of the scrub top.

Also remember to keep any beards tucked - use a scrub cap upside down if necessary (have heard of a Sikh anaesthetist doing this).

[Jai Jai Jai Chandika]

Had a friend who went through surgery and he wore his dastar and kara dastar during surgery. obviously the kara has to be a reasonable size one not those big ones, they may put tape around it. You could wear a small keski if it makes you feel more comfortable.

[Guest hmmmm]

I might aswell add here. I wear those surgical caps over my dastaar. Personally going to theatres is fine, surgeons are really nice people (I want to be one and get along with them fab!) but the main problem are the infection control nurses. It was really bad at this hospital I was at 2 weeks ago.

I am still quite upset about the incident so I might aswell rant. I was told off on ward round for wearing a kara whilst being a scribe writing in the notes, I had no patient contact. I am not upset that I was told off because I can handle words. Its the nurses attitude that really annoyed me.....I was really offended as she said 'we are here to work, not to be galmourous'. I hardly think wearing a kara was glamourous!

I informed her it was religious and then she took me to the phone and called another nurse who went off on one about employment contracts and how she has a letter from a sikh religious leader saying its ok to remove kara and so I should remove it. I thought your hardly the right person to educate me about the dos and don'ts of my religion.

Even though I was irritated by her attitude, I was very polite. I asked her to send me a copy of this letter because I would like to know who this leader is.......I haven't heard anything back so I think she may be a BS!

So my conclusion and way forward is that - its time someone went official about this kara issue.

[Guest Guest]

If you are practicising in the UK, The Department of Health already issued revised guidelines on headscarves and kare - you can wear your kara on the ward providing you pull it up your arm as far as it will go during clinical contact. Tell the infection control nurses that they are on that phaggytime.

I used to avoid wearing anything ontop of my dastar in theatre (which most surgeons were OK with) but after being splattered with blood a few times in the face, i thought its probably more respectful to cover your dastar.

[Guest hmmmm]

Hey guest, could you please post the DofH link and lol I agree with u, cover your dastaar people!

[Guest hmmm]

Hey, I searched Department of Health and no result for kara or sikh. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/AdvanceSearchResult/index.htm?searchTerms=kara

There is a newspaper article about push kara to elbow but its not a valid source of info, if you can fin some official documentation and let me know.