Chapter 398: Teamwork Tested in the Operating Room

After finishing a major operation Zhou Can barely had time to catch his breath before diving into a string of emergency surgeries. Stopping traumatic bleeding, suturing wounds, dealing with ruptured spleens from injuries, inguinal hernias and severed finger reattachments—these are all common emergencies.

If you don’t handle them quickly and properly, patients can lose fingers to necrosis or die from blood loss. The consequences are serious.

He kept at it all the way until almost one in the afternoon, finally clearing the backlog of urgent cases.

Zhou Can pulled off his gloves and said, “Great work everyone. Let’s grab some food and take a break before we head back for more surgeries.” Tuyu really is a fantastic place to work.

The outpatient and emergency department is always bustling.

A steady stream of patients keeps arriving, which means Zhou Can’s team never lacks opportunities for surgery.

“Man, I’m beat! My legs feel like they’re about to fall off after running around all morning!”

Attending Nurse Ma Xiaolan’s voice was sweetly exaggerated.

“Working with Dr. Zhou—there’s one thing for sure, and that’s plenty of work! Of course, you’ll pick up a lot too.”

Luo Shishen picked up right where she left off.

“Xiaolan, sure the workload’s heavy, but the pay’s not bad either. Working with Dr. Zhou, as long as you’re willing to work hard and keep learning, you’ll have a bright future.”

Qiao Yu wasn’t bragging about high income.

She just wanted to help Zhou Can keep good people on the team.

For anyone new to Zhou Can’s surgical team, the sheer volume of operations is a big adjustment—much tougher than most other nursing jobs.

But for adults, a little extra exhaustion isn’t a big deal. When the pay’s fair and the future looks promising, people work harder.

“Really? So how much do you make a month?”

Hearing about attractive pay, Ma Xiaolan perked up right away.

But asking about a colleague’s salary isn’t really proper.

Things like a woman’s age and someone’s income are personal. Unless you’re very close friends, people don’t usually share those details.

Otherwise, most will keep quiet.

“Heh, everyone’s pay is different. Work a month and you’ll see for yourself. Anyway, we’d better hurry to the cafeteria! If we’re late, there’ll only be scraps left!”

Qiao Yu’s quick wit helped her brush off the topic with a smile.

…

After lunch, the four of them made their way back to the emergency operating room.

Qiao Yu immediately threw herself into prepping for the next surgery, getting all the instruments and supplies ready. Speaking of which, it’s worth explaining the roles and responsibilities of instrument nurses versus circulating nurses.

A lot of people think instrument nurses outrank circulating nurses, but actually, it’s usually the Attending Nurse who has more seniority and richer experience in surgery.

During operations, circulating nurses closely coordinate with the whole surgical team and the anesthesiologist.

When needed, they even call in doctors from other departments to assist with combined surgeries.

They’re also typically in charge of all the surgical records.

Before each operation, the Attending Nurse should be the first into the operating room, evaluating the environment, checking if equipment is working right and making the bed.

Once the patient arrives, the Attending Nurse checks their info, follows doctor’s orders to the letter, assists anesthesia, and even takes care of pressure sore evaluations—it’s a lot of responsibility.

So, do you think their role is important or not?

Pressure sore assessment involves three main parts: the patient’s name, gender, age, type and location of the wound, how it was caused, how long it’s been there and the date of first diagnosis.

Then there’s a full-body assessment: underlying diseases, nutritional status, medications taken and for how long, mobility, excretion, sleep and mental state, diagnostic checks and so on.

Plus a local assessment: wound color, amount and nature of discharge, smell, surrounding skin edema, wound area, depth and tunneling dimensions, and photos of the wound.

All of this shows just how high the standards are for circulating nurses.

That’s why most circulating nurses are seasoned veterans.

Don’t be surprised if, during major surgeries, a chief nurse is serving as Attending Nurse—it’s totally normal.

So when new doctors first start training in the OR, they often find the Attending Nurse scarier than the chief surgeon.

She’ll scold one, then another, and no one dares talk back.

Sometimes, even the chief surgeon gets criticized by her—and just has to take it.

Instrument nurses—sometimes called scrub nurses—aren’t really lower in status, though.

Usually, instrument nurses have less seniority by default.

But some surgeons work so well with their dedicated scrub nurse that they refuse to switch. In those cases, the scrub nurse is highly valued.

To the chief surgeon, they’re like a right hand—indispensable.

Take Qiao Yu, for example. She’s absolutely crucial to Zhou Can.

With her helping, Zhou Can never worries about being handed a sharp instrument at the wrong time.

He doesn’t have to fret about missed needle counts or forgotten items. When Qiao Yu swaps out gauze, she knows where every piece went—technically the doctor’s job, but she picks up the slack.

Passing and receiving instruments with her always feels seamless—never bumping hands or missing a catch. Their teamwork is nearly perfect.

She knows exactly what’s needed and gets it ready before Zhou Can even asks.

And the little thoughtful details during surgery—only Zhou Can would notice.

If someone else acted as scrub nurse for him, his surgical efficiency would probably drop by at least a third.

One more thing about scrub nurses:

Often, the instrument nurse and scrub nurse are the same person.

But there are places with specialized scrub nurses, whose only job is helping the surgical team scrub in and get dressed.

That’s usually in elite, high-end surgical teams.

Those positions mostly go to people with connections.

Because scrub nurses don’t really stand out and their technical role is limited, it can drag down the status of instrument nurses.

“Xiaolan, I need to talk to you. I’m pretty straightforward—don’t take it personally, it’s not about you. Earlier when I was getting instruments and meds, I noticed some items hadn’t been put back or were left messy. That can’t happen. When things get hectic, it’s too easy for mistakes to happen.”

Qiao Yu spoke to Ma Xiaolan in a friendly tone.

Zhou Can was absorbed in the patient’s files and didn’t pay much attention to minor squabbles.

“We did so many surgeries this morning! I was running everywhere, how could I keep everything tidy? So a few things were messy—why make such a big deal about it?”

Ma Xiaolan’s response was honestly shocking.

They say three women make for a good drama.

Put two together and you get either best friends or bitter rivals ready to fight.

Unfortunately, newcomer Ma Xiaolan and Qiao Yu seem a bit out of sync.

Zhou Can kept his head down, still looking at the files, making no move to intervene.

He wanted to see what kind of person Ma Xiaolan really was.

From earlier interactions, he felt she was putting on a front. But after just one morning, she was dropping the act.

“Surgical safety is no small matter. If you don’t develop good habits, accidents are far too easy. If something goes wrong, we’re not just risking the patient’s life—we’re jeopardizing your future and the team as a whole.”

Qiao Yu’s expression was deadly serious.

Having spent time in the intensive care unit, she understood how fragile human life could be.

Sometimes a tiny slip by the medical staff could cost a life.

“Well, aren’t you dramatic! Who are you trying to scare? Acting all old and wise—I’ve interned in surgery too, I don’t need your lectures.”

Seeing Zhou Can wasn’t stepping in, Ma Xiaolan grew bolder, thinking he was backing her up.

She’d just joined Zhou Can’s surgical team and was already put in charge as Attending Nurse. It made her think Zhou Can was giving her special treatment because of Ye Tingting.

She believed that’s why she was given a spot even more important than Qiao Yu’s.

Some people just love to overthink. They’re always lost in their own little worlds.

“Nurse Ma, I think Qiao Yu just meant it as friendly advice.”

Luo Shishen tried to ease the tension.

After doing surgeries with Zhou Can’s team for over a month, he knew just how important Qiao Yu was.

Frankly, what Ma Xiaolan was doing was asking for trouble.

He tried to warn her so she wouldn’t get kicked out of the surgical team by Zhou Can.

It wasn’t easy finding a Attending Nurse—without her, Luo Shishen would have to handle all the errands himself.

Now, Ma Xiaolan took that off his plate.

“Mind your own business! What right does an intern have to lecture me, a Attending Nurse?”

Ma Xiaolan’s temper only flared.

Maybe she was even trying to use this moment to assert her authority in the team.

Luo Shishen shrank back, too intimidated to say another word.

Interns rank lowest, terrified one mistake will get them sent packing by education department instructors.

Qiao Yu was flushed with frustration.

People with true self-restraint—regardless of gender—rarely argue back.

Even when they’re in the right, they often end up helpless against sharper tongues.

“Ma Xiaolan!”

Zhou Can obviously couldn’t let the argument go further—it was the operating room, after all. If he ignored this, Dr. Xu would come in with a dark face and deal with it.

You mustn’t underestimate Dr. Xu’s iron-willed discipline.

Punishing Ma Xiaolan wouldn’t matter, but if Qiao Yu got caught up in the fallout, Zhou Can would have to watch her get punished too.

“Here! Dr. Zhou, you want me to keep the team united, right? I get it. I just don’t think a scrub nurse ought to lecture me, the Attending Nurse, like she owns the place.”

Honestly, Ma Xiaolan’s lack of awareness was worrying.

How self-centered did she have to be to completely ignore the mood in the room?

“I’m suspending you from the operating room. Go to the office and write a formal self-review about your behavior today. If it’s not up to standard, I’ll report you directly to Nurse Niu and Director Lou. Prepare to leave.”

Zhou Can’s tone was icy cold.

He should never have agreed to bring in someone with connections.

A hard lesson learned.

From now on, no amount of pleading could sway him on these things.

“You—you want me to write a self-criticism?”

Ma Xiaolan stared at Zhou Can in shock, her eyes full of disbelief and hurt.

“If you don’t want to, you can leave right now.”

Zhou Can said, voice colder than ever.

This time, Ma Xiaolan faced reality—she hadn’t misheard.

She hadn’t realized how much Zhou Can valued Qiao Yu, or that he’d be utterly ruthless when needed.

Only newbies like her, with little experience, assume that sharing a meal means you’re all close friends.

“I’ll do it!”

Biting her lip, Ma Xiaolan’s eyes were already brimming with tears.

Without looking back, she ran out of the OR.

“Maybe you should let it go. She’s just new—she probably doesn’t get all the professional rules yet.”

Qiao Yu’s heart softened.

Even after Ma Xiaolan’s attitude, she still pleaded on her behalf.

“Rules are rules. If she can’t learn them, then I can’t help her. Let’s not dwell on it. Back to work.”

When it comes to situations like this, Zhou Can is even tougher than Dr. Xu.

No exceptions, no compromises.

He has big ambitions—he wants to lead this surgical team to be the best in the country, even the world. He wants to be a true super-doctor.

If he can’t discipline even a low-ranking nurse, if he lets things slide, how can the team grow strong?

A single bad apple really can ruin the whole barrel.

Luo Shishen did his best to be invisible, sensing the unspoken anger radiating from Zhou Can.

If Zhou Can’s fury turned on him, he’d have a lot to lose.

Qiao Yu said nothing else, quietly tidying up the messy cabinets and countertops.

Through it all, Zhou Can had her back, dealing firmly with Ma Xiaolan’s outburst. Qiao Yu truly appreciated that.

Her position on the team and Zhou Can’s recognition both made her happy.

…

That evening, Zhou Can finished the last operation and clocked out for the day.

“Zhou, come to the small conference room with me!”

Dr. Xu tossed out the order and left the OR ahead of him.

Qiao Yu shot Zhou Can a worried look.

“Don’t worry. The boss is strict, but always fair. Even if he chews me out, it’s no big deal—I’ve been through it before.”

Zhou Can gave her a reassuring look, changed, and headed for the tiny meeting room.

Dr. Xu didn’t have a private office, so conversations like this only happened there. Other doctors and nurses also used it for things best kept private.

“What happened in the operating room today?”

Dr. Xu asked, face blank.

“The new nurse Ma Xiaolan didn’t put away surgical instruments and medicine after use, leaving things disorganized. Qiao Yu pointed it out, and she blew up, trying to assert her authority in the OR. It’s also my fault—I only brought her in because she was recommended by Ye Tingting. I really shouldn’t have hired someone just because they’re connected.”

Zhou Can never hid anything from Dr. Xu.

He laid it all out, plain and simple.

“It’s good that you recognize your mistake. And being able to put your foot down and make Ma Xiaolan write a review—that was absolutely the right call. Leading a team, managing a department, or even running an entire hospital takes more than kindness. Sometimes you need a ruthless edge.”