New OR nurse here

Published

Hi all,

I am new to this site. I graduated nursing school in May 2010 and just got my very first job as a nurse in a children's hospital OR! I have wanted to work in the OR since beginning school and am very happy to be working where I am. I love it so far and cant wait to see what the future holds in the OR for me! I just wanted to say hello!:)

Specializes in OR.
I just went to my OR interview yesterday.

I really presented myself as a go getter who learns fast and likes to work as a team. I have a lot of LTC experience, but I must have really impressed her because she is wanting to hire me. I am really excited and can't wait to start in the OR!

Congratulations!! Good luck with the new job!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Wow, really awesome to find this thread.

I am a third year nursing student and am currently trying to plan out the final 1.5 years of my nursing program. I am trying to get a position as an employed student nurse this summer, and taking two perioperatives courses through British Columbia Institute of Technology to give me a head-start. The hospital I will be working at after graduation most likely does offer an OR preceptorship in the final semester with the promise of 1 year after graduation, and I've heard rumours that they either pay for your preceptorship or pay for your specialty upgrading courses as well. Lots of opportunities for overtime and holidays and I need to pay off some pretty significant student loans here once I'm done.

Anyways, despite pursuing this little dream I have cooked up, I've been hearing a lot of criticism regarding attempting to obtain a job in the OR as a new grad. I try to ignore these negative (though merited and perhaps true) comments, and stick to the belief that if I say that I am going to do it I will. I am pretty much going on blind faith here and hoping that I get a break after 4 years of working at a restaurant part-time and going to nursing school. As I'm sure you all understand, it can be very stressful at times.

Anyways, almost done. Thank you for the inadvertant encouragement through your posts :) I wish the best of luck to all of you with your shiny new OR jobs! Hope to be in your shoes down the road here!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

So far it's been both very exciting and tiring.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congratulations ALORNurse on getting the job! I hope that you are doing well. Thank you for you gave some good advice throughout the thread to new RN graduates looking to get into the OR. Wishing you nothing but the best in your career and in life!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR.
Congratulations ALORNurse on getting the job! I hope that you are doing well. Thank you for you gave some good advice throughout the thread to new RN graduates looking to get into the OR. Wishing you nothing but the best in your career and in life!

Thank you so much! I am doing very well and I am still loving every day in the OR! I heard going into this that you either love it or hate it... an I guess I am one of the love its... I hope that any advice that I have given has been useful to someone else out there because I can honestly say that I could not imagine working anywhere else but the OR! And best of luck to you as well!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Congrats to all of the new graduates who are headed to the OR. I myself start on the 4th of April and can not wait. Its a residency program so this is their first time hiring new graduates in the Operating Room and i'm super stoked! I wish i hadn't wasted my first year after passing my boards going to PA school but fortunate that I landed this position. Def did not want the floor!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds OR as RN, Peds ENT as NP.

I know this thread is almost a year old but TODAY I was offered a job as a new grad in the Peds OR! I just wanted to see how you guys first year on the job is going/get advice.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room.

Congrats RN SAM!! The OR is a great place to be. I just read through this thread and saw my posts from when I first started. A full year later I still love the OR but I still learn a million things every day and I realize how much I still have to learn. I don't think I will feel comfortable for a while longer, but that's ok and it gets better every day. Just understand that you will feel like you don't know anything some days, but with time it will get much better!! Good luck and keep us posted!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I posted an earlier thread about my Or internship interview. No replies from the community yet, but reading this thread has given me even more affirmative faith that seeking OR is my path! Thank you all!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am currently doing my senior elective in an OR and absolutely love it. I do however feel like I am inconvienivcing everyone. Are those skills that take time...such as opening up instruments in the sterile field, prepping the patient, gowning up ...God it takes me forever! And of course I have contaminated a thing, or two or three and had to start over again. Advice, help, suggestions plz!!! and Congrats to all the new grads working in the OR! I hope to join you by May :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Home Health, Long-Term Care.

I'm glad to see that it is possible to get into an OR Nurse position straight out of school, I'll know what I want to do for a clinical in my last year of school. I'm also considering ICU or something similar but I think I'd like working OR, especially in a Level I or II trauma center. But anywhere, really. What got me interested was taking a tour of the new OR in a hospital I volunteer with, and it was super nice!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion