I am a 3rd semester ASN student and will be graduating in May, if things go as planned. I have spent some time in the OR and I really enjoy that department. What is the concensus of going directly into a specialty field vs. working on a medsurg floor for a year or so. I've heard conflicting advice and am wanting so other opinions...

I went straight to the OR out of nursing school. and I don't regret it one bit. but you do lose skills being an OR nurse. I don't do IV's but I think I could with a little practice. I love the OR, and I know I don't ever want to work on the floor. I might consider the units or ER. I feel the best way you can be happy is to do what YOU want to do. Remember opinions are like noses, everyone has one and they all are different.

Hi Heartholder..I just had a question for you. Di d you go thru a long internship? I went on an interview today and the nurse seemed very honest about the internship, but she made it sound awful! That I would end up crying a lot and and that I need to learn to be screamed at and take. Was your internship that awful or should I run the other way?

If you go back thru the previous posts you will find quite a few opinions on this subject. I think you will find them quite informative since the opinion is far ranged. I only had one problem during my so called internship and that was two of the nurses training me wanted to get rid of me. The reason was I wouldn't smootch with them in the cysto room like the guy I had just replaced. I wife frowns on this kind of behavior. Good luck with your decision. Mike

PS, my internship was 25 years ago! God I feel old!

Hi to all, only my second post here. Love the site. Anyway, I have been in the OR for about 6 yrs. I started first as a Surgical Tech then a RN. After I graduated from nursing school, I left the OR to work on a Telemetry unit (I only intended to be there 1 yr I knew the OR was the only place I wanted to be). Well as I wrote, I stayed for that year. During that year I also worked casual at another hospital in their OR to get some experience. I have since been in the OR and love it. I have to say, I learned ALOT leaving the OR and recommend doing the same to anyone first time out of nursing school for some experience.

Good luck in your decision, StillaStudent!!

Shevalove, I had a 6 month orientation in the OR. I ended up being mostly a gofer. I felt my orientation lack a lot of basics. That education coorandator is now retired. After my 6 months I was "able to take call". The only good thing was that I was on day shift with a lot of good people to teach me and with time, I gained the confidence and knowledge needed. It took me a good 2 years before I felt like an OR nurse. I also took alot of extra call on the weekends to gain the knowledge of how to work without the support people that are there thru the week. I did everything I could to learn as much as possible. My orientation also included scrubbing. I really enjoyed that and now the nurses don't get that in their orientation. You do need a strong personality to survive in the OR. But I love it and wouldn't do anything else at the present time. It is a different culture. The surgeons like the OR nurses at my hospital and respect their opinions.

I hope this helps.

Joy

Thanks Joy,

I don't know!?!. I am going in to shadow next Friday. I don't know if I should even bother now. I do want to work in the OR, but I am not what you would call a strog person. I take things too personally. I do not want to waste anyones time, mine or the hospitals, by accepting the position and then not being able to handle the stress. I guess I pretty much answered my own question on whether or not I could do it huh?