New OR Nurse and feeling overwhelmed... - Page 3

canesdukegirl, this is such a good perspective. I wish I could have gotten this advice when was orienting in the OR! There are definitely those who will intimidate, bully, or try to establish pecking order by finding fault with what you do. And just because somebody (surgeon, preceptor, manager, tech, whoever) tells you to do something one day today, doesn't mean somebody else won't scold you and tell you to do the polar opposite thing tomorrow.

None of the individual tasks in the OR are super-hard to learn. The hard thing seems to be learning the rythm and culture of the OR you're in. If you can show you're receptive in that way (think about how quickly you call time out, reply loud and clear to others who can't turn to look at you while they speak to you, hurry up and slow down at the right morments), you can learn to fit in. And you can remind yourself that the hazing (Otis elevator? Really?) and the condescension aren't good, aren't fair, and aren't something you can really do much about. Just resolve that you won't be that person when you're the veteran working with the newbie.

The OR is a tough place to work. I've been there for 5 years as a scrub tech and now I'm in school. As for the tech who is rude, some people just are, but you need to realize too that just because the tech isn't an RN doesn't mean she doesn't have a wealth of knowledge for you to learn from. For Kooky Korky to say that she is probably jealous because she isn't an RN is absurd and quite frankly, a little insulting. We are patient advocates just like the nurse is. She has every right to say something if you miss a spot prepping or contaminate something. Don't take it personally. If you let everything hurt your feelings you will never make it in the OR.