[elkpark]

Well, I attended a diploma school in the '80s, so my OR experience was three months of four days/week clinical -- six weeks passing instruments and six weeks circulating. When we graduated, we were ready to work in an OR (or any other nursing setting, but OR is the issue at hand ...). Now that most OR "experiences" consist of (merely) observing one or two surgeries, I don't really see any particular value to that -- it certainly does nothing to prepare/qualify students to work in a surgical setting; an employer would still have to start "from scratch" with them. So, if the hospitals are becoming uncomfortable with students in the OR, I don't see that it makes any difference to skip the experience entirely. If students really want to see what surgery looks like, I understand there are shows/films on TV and the 'Net of various types of surgeries.

[fins]

You know, I was just reading an article in either Advance or Nursing Spectrum about how hospitals are finding it harder and harder to hire enough RNs for their ORs. I don't think that the loss of OR rotations in most nursing programs is just a coincidence. In my class, NOBODY went into the OR at graduation - it wasn't anything that we knew, so it wasn't anything that we considered.

If I was an OR manager, instead of putting obstacles in the way of students being there, I would be begging the schools to give me as many students for as many shifts as possible.

[imafostermom]

I teach allied health and CNA students. These students get one week in the OR observing.

[Vikingkitten]

Originally Posted by vickynurse

We've been having difficulty finding OR experiences for students. For whatever reason, facilities are rarely willing to allow students into the OR anymore. Is anyone else experiencing this? Do your students have a day in the OR? Is this an old fashioned idea? Should this be dropped from the curriculum? Please share your thoughts.

Not an Educator any more, but I remember my "OR rotation" was a joke!
Was in on a TKA and the circulator gave us a stepstool at the back of the room (Great View!) and told us not to move unless she told us! Ha! Was an experienced Medic, Nurse and Teacher by then and decided I could better use me time for studying.
At my current Hospital, we are trying to grow our own by taking nurses from other fields who want to be OR nurses. They get a Preceptor and a 6 month (since reduced to 4) program where they work on each of the services we provide. Still, even the good ones are barely trained and can function with what we provide.