New Grad in Pre-Op?

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Hi,

I'm a new grad RN who started a new grad program in Atlanta a few months ago. I nearly aced nursing school and had great references from my instructors. I was hired onto medsurge. I was completely overwhelmed on medsurge and after a few months now, I know it's not the type of nursing I want. I cry every night after I leave. My anxiety is so high that my palms and feet are always sweating, even at home. I don't feel at all comfortable with the workload or the amount of responsibility. I'm not anywhere close to being ready for this. There are just way too many things to get done and not enough time to do it. I can't even begin to keep it all straight. I'm simply drowing. I'm going to let the program manager know and apply for the spot in either post partum or pre-op. My preference is pre-op. I spent a week in pre-op during nursing school. I loved pre-op and it had it's own culture. As an actual new grad employee, will I likely be totally overwhelmed again? Don't you pretty much just get the patient ready for surgery by having them change, ask the list of questions, start the IV, hang the fluids and antibiotics, fill out their meds on the computer, then bring in the family and have them wait till OR comes to get them? Is it basically the same thing for each patient?

Any help is appreciated.

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Specializes in OR.

I empathize with you. I am not a new grad, I have a lot of experience, and I work in the OR. I think that the nursing on the floors has become so complex and demanding that I know even the seasoned nurses in med surg run their feet off. I also know that they are often looking after very complex patients, and short staffed etc etc.

I have not worked in pre op but I do see alot of what goes on from the OR nurse point of view.

The pre op we have is very busy, but I think it usually has less critical incidents than the med surg floor has.

Also, usually the patients (at least where I work), have had an anesthetic consult, and all of the orders are pretty straight forward. Our unit also does alot of the phoning and patient post-op follow up for daycare surgical patients.

The staffing in our pre op is very reasonable and the staff that work there seem to be

happy.

The feelings that you are expressing about your new job are probably well founded so do not beat yourself up over it, and do try and find a job that you can feel better apt to get through each work day.

I wish you every success in your nursing career. You will find your niche!

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Hi Boxrluvr,

I really appreciate your response. I feel better after reading it. I think our pre-op is very similiar. I feel I will succeed if I can get a good routine down and am working in a supportive environment.

Thanks for your response :nurse:

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Specializes in OR.

I work in the OR but I can definitely empathize with you. When I was in nursing school, before I got to see OR nursing, I was like "oh ****, I'm paying to go to school for job I don't even like!" I found med-surg to be overwhelming and I always felt like I was forgetting something, and then I worried I would forget something critical. Plus, I thought it was really difficult because you worked so hard and rarely saw the benefits of your labor. But then I saw OR nursing and realized I found a job a could be happy with. So if you feel you could be happy in pre-op, go for it! Nothing is worse than dreading your job, especially on your time off!

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Thanks Coconutzz,

That is exactly how I am feeling.

Thank you for the response =)

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bump =)

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