What does the term 'surgical conscience' refer to?

The term 'surgical conscience' refers to a healthcare professional's commitment to ethical standards, particularly in the context of surgical practice. While maintaining strict aseptic technique is crucial for preventing infection during surgical procedures, the concept of surgical conscience encompasses more than just aseptic practices. It reflects a practitioner's responsibility to ensure that they perform procedures with integrity, prioritizing patient safety, and upholding ethical guidelines throughout the surgical process.

This notion emphasizes the importance of being aware of one’s actions, decisions, and their impacts on patient care. Healthcare professionals guided by a strong surgical conscience are expected to advocate for their patients, report errors or complications, and continually strive to improve their practices. Hence, surgical conscience inherently ties into adhering to ethical standards rather than being limited to technical skills like aseptic technique.