As a student in med school or as an experienced healthcare professional, you know the importance of learning and using effective knots. You also know the frustration that comes when a knot slips or gets undone.
Fortunately, there are many different ways to tie a nurses knot and you can find a knot to fit almost any situation. Some of these knots require special tools, like a needle driver, while others are as simple as a loop around your finger. One of my favorites is the adjustable bend, which is great for tying deep inside a patient's body and it has the added benefit of being easy to adjust without having to untie the knot.
In surgery, it is important to keep the running end of a suture from accidentally touching nonsterile areas that may be contaminated. A simple way to do this is to hold the running suture between your thumb and middle finger of the nondominant hand while tying the knot. This will help prevent contaminating the wound and allow you to move quickly to the next step in your procedure.
The Sim*Tie Knot Tying Learning System teaches residents, students and nurses to safely tie two-handed and one-handed surgical knots. It includes practice hooks and a system to provide resilience that will challenge the learner to tie secure knots against tissue resistance while also helping them to practice their technique. It is available from many medical supply dealers and also online.
