Not sure what to think...

This scenario is sickening to me. I went through a 9 month internship 10 years ago and can remember the frustration of feeling like the "village idiot" every day that I went home because information was held. People made you feel like you were the stupidest person on the block. The fortunate thing, was the instructor of our internship threw us back in the same service every day for 3 weeks. Yes, you do have to be a strong person to survive to OR. But you don't have to be abused!

Anyway.... you need to remember that every time your name is on a record you are liable for the care of that patient. I have sat in a room with a judge and a family and can say that when I did it was very nerve racking to defend my nursing practice. Be sure you are doing the "Right thing" all of the time... or you might find yourself defending you and why you fell into the pressure of some idiot in the OR who wanted to bully you. It won't hold up in court. I can promise you that.

I am currently a Director of two surgery centers and would never tolerate this type of behavior. I learned early on, that if my license is at jeopardy and management or HR isn't going to do anything about it GET OUT!

Also, just as someone said before, document, document document.... When you have these conversations with HR or your boss about these issues DOCUMENT! That way, when you challenge the contract you have signed for them to train you, you can prove that improper of lack of training makes the contract VOID!

Good Luck! The OR can be a very rewarding, fun and lucrative career if you can just get through the bull and find a good place to train and work.

Oh, how I hate to hear these kinds of things. The OR is such a great place to work, but these people are who gives us a bad name. Ugh!!!!!!! You need to report these comments to HR. This is not where I would want to work.

I worked in Oregon, where they didn't count instruments. They took an x-ray on every patient at the end of the case to verify no instruments were left in the patient. I was a travel nurse there. I expressed my concern to the OR supervisor and she told me it was "the accepted practice" in the area. I didn't extend my contract. This is just a totally unsafe practice.

I work at a hospital now that doesn't count needles. It makes me crazy. I keep expressing my concerns to the OR management. After 2 yrs., they are looking into the issue. I'm not popular with my co-workers over this issue, but they don't provide for my family or maintain my nursing license.

I feel the need to apologize to you for these "situations." Not every OR is like this. I don't know what your contract reads, but I would try to get some advice to see if you can get out of it. If it's monetary, it may be worth the price to find a job where this doesn't happen. It's 2009 for god's sake. They need to enter the 21st century. I could go on and on..........

Best of luck to you.

I don't have any expereince in the OR except for the 2 rotations in clinicals I did in 2 different hospitals--the 1st in a fairly small hospital--these people were brutal--the whole time I was there they would talk about other nurses that they didn't like--and this included the doctors talking about the nurse they didn't like.
1 doc stopped what he was doing after ranting about a nurse he had a run-in with and realized I was in the room and almost accused me of being a spy for her. It was bizarre. After we graduated a friend of mine went to that hosp. in the OR and she told me it was so cliquish that it was really hard for her to stay on there. I'll tell you I saw alot of nasty words, dirty words and bullying going on. Another girl I know worked in the same OR and she said that if you didn't go out after work with those people they blackballed you. Also the doctors there would ask the females if they shaved thier private parts and what kind of underwear they wore. My friend almost died with that one.
At the other hospital (teaching) it was better but the circ nurse they put me with didn't want me with her and acted ****** all day long--but even then I still would have worked there if I could have. As long as I am not forced to hang out with people after work then I am fine.
As far as counting instruments--that is essential--it is your license.

This is a very disturbing post to say the least. It is particularly so because I have a telephone interview scheduled next Tuesday for an OR internship that could very well be this facility. I hope that the original poster will join in. I would hate to make such a huge decision (I live out West) to uproot and go to a situation like this. I would love to learn OR (correctly) and not deal with constant politics. I have 5 years of M/S, Telemetry, PCU and ICU experience, along with travel nursing. Can anyone give me ideas on where the best OR internships are? I applied to one at Baylor, but did not get in. I would appreciate any help you can give me. I am beginning to become very disillusioned with nursing in general due to these types of situations. Thank you!

MrNurseOR, I would like to hear from you. I have a terrible feeling that my upcoming phone interview for an OR internship is with this facility. I would be happy to give you my private email if you do not feel comfortable stating it in this forum. Please let me know. Thank you, you may be preventing this from happening to me!

Just so everyone doesn't think that all OR's are bad---a good friend of mine works at University of Maryland OR and he said the people there are the best--too far for me to travel though.

That is good to know. I have encountered so much lateral hostility between nurses in every area I have worked. Thanks for a bright spot!