Hey all,

I'm looking to get into a OR position down the line in my career. I'm a fairly new nurse and have been working on a neuro/surgical floor for the last couple months. Just wondering what kind/how much nursing experience I would need to have in order to land an OR job. Do I need to have worked in critical care before they will even consider hiring me?

Thanks for all you're advice!

A facility's requirements to be considered for an OR position is going to be completely dependent on their policies. My facility will hire new grads and those without OR experience twice a year (more if we see a mass exodus) because our orientation is very structured and done in a cohort format. What you will want to look for is either a nurse residency or a structured orientation geared towards those with no OR experience.

What you can start doing now:

Ask if it would be possible to observe the types of surgeries that are common on your floor. In fact, this is part of floor nursing orientation at my facility- the ICU nurses will observe cardiac surgery, the ortho nurses observe joint replacements, etc. This gives you a little bit of an idea of what the nurse does during surgery. Pay more attention to what the nurse does than actually watching the surgery itself.

Look into joining AORN if you're in the US or the specialty organization for OR nurses in your country. Attending the meetings can provide you with the opportunity to network with those who do the hiring or can influence the hiring.

I also recommend staying in your current position for at least a year- it not only establishes an employment history with the facility but also can help prevent the impression of job hopping.