Interested in OR for the future

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  1. This is a discussion on Interested in OR for the future in Operating Room Nursing, part of Nursing Specialties ... Hello! Im a new grad nurse who started working on a med surg floor this July. While I know my...

    by Aug 16, '11
    Hello! Im a new grad nurse who started working on a med surg floor this July. While I know my time on the floor will expose me to so many different things I don't think I could handle the stress for years...I want to get my M/S experience and then find a specialty. I am considering OR as something that may be a good fit for me in the future...before anyone yells at me I know the OR is very stressful as well...not saying I would go there because it's easier than M/S but I feel that it could be an environment that suits me well. I am a very detail oriented, thorough, safety conscious person. I love anatomy...I found that class to be one of the most interesting in my 4 years in college. I like to put all of my focus and energy into what I am doing and I feel that with the OR with one case at a time I can really do everything I need to do correctly and safely for the patient. I am new to nursing and I've found out that med surg can be alot thrown at you in a short period. I feel that sometimes I am stretching myself too thin and forget to do the little things that I want to do for my patients..or that I forgot to chart something, etc. etc. I feel that with the focus needed in the OR I could really be a beneficial team member as I know my brain will not be trying to balance 5 pts' issues but rather one pt. who needs much attention and care while on the table.

    There was a new grad periop program at the hosp I am working at but timing, etc. wasnt right and I might not have been seriously considering it at the time. I think around a year from now it would be nice to be starting in the OR and even nicer if I got a position where I orient to preop, OR, PACU as the periop program does.. that way I can get a great mix of everything, never get bored, still have some pt. interaction, and not always try to juggle so so much as on a floor. I guess my question is more for anyone who went from the floor to the OR..do you enjoy it? are my interests that I stated above relevant to being fit for the OR? I will probably try to shadow just to see what it is like down the road if I decide to try to get in the OR...I know you really either love it or hate it and I would make sure it's a good fit...just something I'm considering...thanks in advance to any OR nurses for their opinions.
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    by katygw Aug 16, '11 10:25 pm
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    bg6RN and leilo0 like this.
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  3. 6 Comments so far...

  4. Oct 6, '11 by
    My first job out of RN school was in med surg and I lasted about 2 months. It was hell! I cried almost every day. I wanted to be an OR nurse from the very beginning so I was happy to finally land a job as a OR nurse soon after the med surg position. It's been almost 3 years and I LOVE it. It was everything I'd hope it would be and more!

    As far as the stress is concerned it really depends on the person. I know some floor nurses that tried switching to the OR but after a few weeks in the OR orientation they couldn't handle the stress of the OR and went back to the floor. I think the floor is more stressful than the OR. So it depends who you ask. People thrive in different situations. Everyone has a different perspective. You are just starting out and you have a long career ahead of you. Try med/surg- you may love it. You may not. The great thing about nursing is you can always change specialties. The important things is getting experience- and med/surg will open many doors for you. The characteristics you've described are perfect for the OR. Sounds like you'd be a good fit!
    leilo0, ScrubRNwannabe, and ButtonNose like this.
  5. Oct 14, '11 by
    Thanks for replying! comforting to know someone out there has felt the same things about MS! lol ultimately if I could hold out til the one year mark on the MS floor thatd be great but we'll see. glad to hear you love the OR, I have a good feeling about it and hopefully when the time is right I can land a position there. thanks again.
  6. Feb 13, '12 by
    hey katygw, I am a new grad nurse currently worked in an acute care hospital with the float pool. I find that the med-surg floors are extremely stressful too and I find myself relating to you 100% in that I am very detail oriented and like to focus on one thing at a time instead of many. I believe that being an OR nurse would suit be better than being a bedside nurse and I am trying to make my way slowly over to that area. I will be signing up for an peri-operative RN course this coming summer.
    Can you update us on your situation? Have you transitioned to being an OR nurse or are you sticking it out in med-surg? Thanks!
  7. Feb 13, '12 by
    Hi ButtonNose!
    since I posted this original thread many things have changed! I just got an offer to work in an allergy office and I am taking it not only to "escape" the floor but also because I think Ill actually be happy there! lol I think I will do well in a lower stress environment such as an office and I like the idea that I can help people but have them go on their merry way afterwards! I like that ill be able to focus on what Im doing with one person at a time and not 5 highly acute patients. I would still consider the outpatient OR setting in the future but after this experience I know I will not want to work in a hospital ever again. Glad I got the experience and learned alot but am GLAD that I'm leaving..just have 4 more shifts on the floor. But sounds like we have the same feelings...my advice is to just start applying to other places! I have 7 months med surg experience now so I would try to stick it out to at least 6 months if you havent already as it looks stronger on your resume.. let me know if you hear from anyone and if your going to pursue the OR. Good luck!
  8. Jun 15, '12 by
    Hey katygw!

    So Sorry for not responding... when you wrote your last posting I typed up a nice response, hit the enter button and then it never submitted! I was so angry I just left it for a while hehe.

    So right now you are most likely working at the allergy office; how do you like it? I'm glad you found something that fit your interests and can maintain your sanity :P

    I am currently still on med-surg floors; however I am also in my 2nd month of my perioperative course! I really like it so far but keep in mind I have not had a clinical placement yet... I am somewhat anxious about starting that because there seem to be very strong personalities in the OR. I for one am quite timid and like to stay low key so I hope I do no clash with other RNs and surgeons... having said that I am not a push over and will stand my ground and speak up when needed! I'm hoping to possibly find a FT OR position so I can leave the floor... I had my first encounter with an older RN bully the other day and I couldn't believe it. Anyway that's another story!

    Hope to hear back from you!
  9. Jun 16, '12 by
    Hi katygw
    I could have written your post about why you love the OR.
    I've been in a medical floor for four months now and while most days are great, I still can't shake the feeling of wanting to run away from floor nursing, screaming. I have an interview for an OR position on Monday and I'm hoping I get it. Here's to us making our dreams of becoming an OR nurse a reality.
    Last edit by leilo0 on Jun 16, '12 : Reason: edited info