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If you’re a medical student, starting your surgical training or you’re a student nurse on theater placement you’ll be learning about a whole host of new surgical instruments and equipment. Knowing what they’re all called and what they all do is going to be a big part of your upcoming training.    So here’s an easy to follow guide taking you through the instruments you’ll find on a basic surgery tray and what they will be used for.   What Types of General Surgery Instruments are there?   In general, a basic surgical instrument tray will hold instruments from these 5 different categories:   Cutting instruments  Grasping instruments Haemostatic Instrument Retracting Instruments Tissue Unifying Instruments   Cutting Instruments: Surgical Scissors are specially manufactured for cutting sutures, dressings as well as dissecting and cutting biological tissue. They can be straight or curved and are usually made from surgical steel or material that allows their cutting edges to be sharper and more durable.    There are two main mechanical types of scissors used in surgery: Ring scissors, which look and work very much like regular scissors. These will include Mayo Scissors or long handled scissors, used for cutting soft or hard tissue. Spring forceps, which rely on a spring pivot joint action and are used mostly in eye surgery or microsurgery.    Grasping Instruments: Grasping instruments are used to hold or manipulate tissue during surgical procedures. Predominantly, these would include  items such as forceps and clamps, as well as surgical clips used for holding drapes in place during surgery.    Forceps can be ratcheted for holding tough tissue, tissue that needs to be removed or muscle. They can also be smooth like the Gillies Tissue Forceps and used for more gentle grasping where tissue mustn’t be manipulated without being damaged.    Haemostatic Instruments: Haemostatic instruments are used to stop bleeding during procedures. These are also forceps but, notably, are designed to have better grip than those used for grasping.    Instruments like Spencer Wells Forceps are haemostatic and are ratcheted with either straight or curved jaws, with ridged teeth. Haemostatic forceps work by clamping shut blood vessels to effectively stop any bleeding. Retracting Instruments: Retracting instruments are used to separate the edges of an incision or wound and allow clearer access to the body parts that need to be operated on. They hold away organs and tissues that might be blocking the way to the area of importance to the procedure.    Surgical retractors come in a variety of different shapes, each designed for specific purposes. Some will have right-angled end, like the Richardson Retractor, for separating the edges of an incision  while others like the Travers Self Retraining Retractor will be used to keep deep wounds and incisions open and have a ratchet system in the handle which allows it to hold itself in place.   Unifying Instruments: Unifying instruments are used to reunify tissue towards the end of the procedure. These include surgical needle holders used to hold suturing needles when sewing body tissue by hand.   It also includes surgical needles and staples used to suture wounds, incisions and tissue.    While this is by no means an exhaustive list of the surgical items you’ll come across in a basic surgical instrument tray, it will provide a rough guide to the kind of items you’ll need to know and understand in your training.    Need more help? We stock a huge variety of surgical instruments and equipment.    For all your Medical and Homecare supplies give us a call at Mediworld. We have over 40 years experience in medical, surgical, mobility and home health supplies and we're always on hand to chat if you need support or advice.

Whether you’re just starting out as a nurse or you’ve been practicing for years you’ll now the importance of having your own kit list of good quality go-to items that will help to make sure you can get on with the job quickly and safely.  We’ve been supplying the medical industry for almost 50 years and here are the six must-have items that we recommend for nurses: Stethoscope: Do nurses need their own stethoscopes? The answer is definitely yes. Diagnostic patient care is at the centre of nursing and having your own stethoscope that you know and trust will make sure that you’re able to perform this part of your job better. Be sure to buy a good quality stethoscope that you’ve tried out for size and function. We highly recommend the Littman range of stethoscopes for all medical professionals.   Nurses Scissors: Nurses frequently need to cut dressings, tape, and bandages. Having a pair of reliable scissors, as well as more specialist bandage scissors and curved scissors in your pocket will ensure you can quickly and safely perform necessary procedures. Fob Watch: While a wrist watch might be off limits for hygiene reasons, you’ll need a reliable watch with a second hand for those time-sensitive tasks, pulse rate measurements and respiratory checks etc. Designed to be pinned onto the uniform, these fun fob watches come in some great colours and styles. Comfortable Shoes: A nurse’s step count is usually very high! Walking between beds, up and down flights of stairs, to and from patients and medical supply areas requires a good pair of very comfortable nurses shoes. Look for shoes specifically designed for healthcare professionals, with features like cushioning and slip resistance. Compression Socks: You’re on your feet for hours on end and, especially when it’s hot, your legs and ankles can start to swell and become uncomfortable. Wearing a good pair of compression socks during your shift, or for a few hours afterwards, will help improve circulation and reduce leg fatigue.  Spare Scrubs: Accidents, spills and clothing tears happen and most nurses will know that having to change your clothing during a shift is not unusual. Stock up and make sure you have a spare pair of scrubs - tunic and trousers -  to hand. June 2023

With the new academic year approaching, it's time for all you medical students to start buying the medical equipment you’ll need to embark on your studies. It’s a hugely exciting time and making sure you’re prepared with all of your essential kit will help to keep you on track and ready to hit the books! Here are our 5 must have items to get your medical studies off to a great start. Stethoscope Many medical schools will require you to have a stethoscope on day one. Stethoscope makes can vary a great deal, so investing in a good quality one is always a sensible idea.  When you’re shopping for a stethoscope, there’s no substitute for trying out different styles.  Ask to try it on and check if the ear tips sit snugly and comfortably in your ears. Make sure the ear tips point towards your nose. Check if the headset is adjustable to ensure the most comfortable and effective ear positioning. Put the tuneable diaphragm on your (or the shop assistant’s) chest to check you can hear a heartbeat and assess how clear and loud the sound is. Hold the stethoscope by the headset and check for kinks in the tubing as it hangs - you’re looking for the tubes to hang as straight as possible. Invest in a brand like Littman that offers spare parts for stethoscopes to keep yours going for years to come. Choose a great colour!  Knowing that a stethoscope is a must-have item, you need to store it appropriately. Storing by hanging is not always a good idea; you might knock it by accident. Therefore, a stethoscope case is a very vital item having it will prolong the life of your stethoscope.  Your stethoscope might be one of your larger investments so you’ll want to make sure it doesn’t get lost or stolen so you might want to have it engraved with your name and details or buy a stethoscope tag. Scrubs Medical scrubs are another must-have if you’ve enrolled in a medical course. Some institutions will require you to wear scrubs to lessons while others will only expect you to wear them during lab or clinical sessions. Either way you’ll need several pairs. Make sure you know the colour of scrubs you’re required to have before buying. Thankfully these days there’s a range of fits and styles available including unisex scrubs and women’s scrubs for a better fit. Try to find the softest material you can as you’ll want to be as comfortable as possible if you’re wearing them all day. Blood Pressure Kit Also called a sphygmomanometer, you’ll want to make sure you buy a good quality blood pressure kit for your studies.  One of the first things you’re like to learn in medical school is how to take blood pressure and you’ll be regularly tested on this throughout your studies. If you go into general practice it will be one of the most common examinations you’ll perform on your patients. So it’s really important to get yourself a good blood pressure monitor that you can read clearly and that feels substantial on the cuff, bulb and tubing. Tendon Hammer A tendon or patella hammer might not be on every essential kit list but they can often be in short supply in clinics so it’s worth making the very small investment to have your own one. You’ll use your tendon hammer in a good number of clinical assessments including lower limb examination, upper limb examination, clinical neurological examination, and any other kind of analysis involving nerves and tendons. Other must haves A good first aid book Comfortable light-weight, washable shoes for clinical environment  A good backpack Tourniquet Fob Watch - great for use in sterile environments and available in some lovely colours! Pen torch for examinations Why not try one of our Medical Student Starter Packs complete with Littman Stethoscope, Tourniquet, Fob Watch and Pen torch!  Need more help? We're always here to help so get in touch today. For all your Medical and Homecare supplies give us a call at Mediworld. We have over 40 years experience in medical, surgical, mobility and home health supplies and we're always on hand to chat if you need support or advice and don't forget to read our other great health blogs! August 2022