I started working as a PCA/CNA on an Orthopaedic floor in May, and thought I was absolutely going to HATE it... But after working there for a while, and doing my clinicals in several different areas.. I really enjoy it... It is HARD work, harder than many other floors.... If I hate my Peds rotation, I will probably stay on the Ortho floor.. My Unit Manager has pretty much told me I had a job once I graduated, which isn't until December....

Just wanted to share with ya'll :)

Yes, ortho is a tough area to work in. Not an area I enjoyed workin in too much, but its a good area to get a lot of diversified nursing experiences in. :)

I always wanted to be an orthopdic nurse. I was so lucky to get a position on that unit when I graduated last year. I sometimes wish that there was less phsyical work but I prefer it to regular med/surg nursing.

I used to float there and I did not like it either. Backbreaking work. Glad you like it.

renerian

Hi all, this is my very first post (just had to share that). Anyway, I was assigned to ortho as a CNA- and was devastated by it. I did my first clinical rotation on the very same floor and terrible memories were all i had of it. Eventually, i learned to love it, and took a job as an RN when i graduated. In ortho the patients are not sick- just BROKEN.. unfortunately, recently we have added 10 new beds for med-surg patients. ugh. i trluy love ortho patients and hope one day we go back to being "just ortho." Ok, thanks for reading my first message. East Coasters- STAY WARM!

So many of the ortho procedures that used to be inpatient are now Outpatient! That really cuts into the ortho census. We went from 80 ortho beds in '88 to 30 in '98. Even total hips and knees are staying til the next day (lunchtime) and going on to the rehab hospital. I don't see this changing and that's a shame.

Wow P_RN Our hips and knees stay for at least 3-4 days post-op then they either go to Healtsouth or home for rehab.... My floor holds 30pts, and it is usually pretty full... The only thing I hate is when the census is low they use our floor to catch overfill from Post-op and Med-Surg stuff....

I think I like the Ortho stuff, mainly b/c it is a lil of everything.. You may have someone with just a Hip replacement and no other health problems.. BUt most have something else going on whether it be CHF, COPD, Diabetes.. So you see a lil of it all..

I could do without the back-breaking parts :)hehehe