Attn: Nurses hired into the OR within the last 6 months to a year!

Specialties Operating Room

Published

I recently accepted an OR position and will start this month. I'm beyond excited! I'm still trying to find my niche in nursing and I have a good feeling about this. My question is for those who have started within the last 6 months to a year, how are you liking it so far? How is orientation going? I know there is a huge learning curve and I'm prepared to take it one day at a time. Any tips you could suggested from your experience so far? I come with ICU experience.

For anybody who has more than a year of experience in OR, feel free to input as well! I'm curious to see the perspective of those still in or just finishing up the 6-9 month orientation.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Float Pool, MICU, CTICU.

I feel ya about breakfast! Breakfast is more of a luxury for me now. It never seems like I have time for a decent breakfast with coming in so early in the morning. It's usually a bar of some sort until lunch. Bad habit I'm trying to break.

Specializes in Tele, Med-Surg, Home care, Rehab.

Hey! I am scheduled to start the OR on the 1st of September I am very excited bc I will be doing both circulating and scrubbing, any tips on learning instruments, dealing with the tough personalities, etc.. I only have a year of Tele experience and I am afraid its not enough. What do you think?

Hey! I am scheduled to start the OR on the 1st of September I am very excited bc I will be doing both circulating and scrubbing, any tips on learning instruments, dealing with the tough personalities, etc.. I only have a year of Tele experience and I am afraid its not enough. What do you think?

Not a whole lot of tips because it's only been 4 weeks for me, but I can share experiences. It's so different from working on the floor. Just be prepared that when you walk in, you literally won't know what anything is. And there are SO MANY SUPPLIES and like all of them are unfamiliar. That's a bit overwhelming. Like someone will ask you for something and you're just like, "what the heck is that...."

Specializes in MedSurg, OR, Cardiac step down.

Best tip, be flexible! ?

Wow please keep us updated

Specializes in Operating room..

Lose nursing skills!?! What floor nurse can float to the OR? NONE of them. We are a specialized field! There are hundreds of different pieces of equipment, instruments, procedures, Dr.'s who all have different preferences, etc! We have DIFFERENT skills! You couldn't pay me TRIPLE to work the floor!

MereSanity BSN, RN, CNOR

I couldn't have said it better.... many, many times, I've had to go help out on a floor (refused to give meds) but can put in a catheter faster than any of them. Yes, can still do many things that I did when I worked a floor but how many times has someone from the "floors" came to help in the OR? It's just not an area you can walk into and go to work..

Not to put any area down but we all have our specialties and the OR is very exacting and specific..

Rntr BS,CNOR,CCM

Updates?? How's it going for everyone?

Hello everyone. I am only week 3 into my orientation and 3 days working in an OR room. I have to admit it is overwhelming trying to learn the instruments, positions, prepping, along with everything else. However, I LOVE IT. It is better than I imagined. I can't believe how much I have learned already. It's going to be a long six months but I am ready and excited. I will keep you updated on my progress. Hope everyone else is doing well also.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Float Pool, MICU, CTICU.

Going well so far! It's frustrating though when the person I'm paired up with doesn't want to talk to me that much or expects me to know more than what I do! Especially if it is my first time ever doing a certain case or having this surgeon.

I feel like I got charting and interviewing the pt down, it's just setting up for a case I need help with. What I like is that some of these nurses don't even have to look at the preference card to pull items out! They know the cases by heart, which I know will take time.

Specializes in MedSurg, OR, Cardiac step down.

Hopefully half way through orientation, this schedule is killin me! ?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Float Pool, MICU, CTICU.
Hopefully half way through orientation, this schedule is killin me! ?

What's your schedule?

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