OR enviornment

[LovedRN]

I am a new grad RN and want to be in OR. I just have opportunities to observe in a small surgery center's OR. WOW what an experience!!! Here is my story:

1. ****, ****, and other similar words are in every sentences here. PA had used **** word too but that because something was wrong with the instrument and the case took too long. I got that. But when they used it every time they talked, that's just too much.

2. Dirty jokes. Hey I make them too and I know not to crossed the line. We were talking about the colors of USA and Thailand flags. (I came from Thailand by the way.) Our old flag had an elephant in the center. Elephants are highly respected animal in our country, enough to be on the flag if you can imagine. Then things got ugly. Anest said there should be a prositute on top of the elephant. Everyone laughted except surgeon, OR nurse (who is Thai), and me. Apparently, this anest took one of the surg techs for sex tour in Thailand and when they came back it took months for them to stop talking about it. It's non of my business what they did but that joke was not funny.

3. This is where I learned what not to do. Fast is their priority. Good thing my second day was with an OR RN who used to work in the hospital. She spend all day pointed out what they did incorrectly. I got it. This is a small surgery center and not a hospital.

4. If working in a small surgery center is like being with a family I hope I would never be with this family. 2 guys would ask anest, surgeon, RN, or other people who are not in their group for money. At first I thought they were joking but then they insisted on it, kept asking for several times. "I make your job easier. It's just $20." "Come on, you make too much money. Just give us $20." If you have to ask people for money because they make more than you do, I think you should go to medical or nursing school and earn it. One time one asked a nurse for a breakfast money, thinking he was collecting money to buy everyone in the surgery center food, she gave it. But when breakfast came, it was for their group. She talked to him and asked for her money back; he just ignored her. I was so embarrassed even though I got nothing to do with them.

5. When I heard surg tech talked to surgeon about what should be done in the surgery, I thought "Wow he is smart." But when I saw he did the surgery by himself (it was on the pinky finger) I got this feeling of wanting to tell some one about it but of course everyone knows about it already.

..........

Ohh my. I got more to say but I am just too tired. This is getting too long and those are just from my 2 days of observation. Sorry if there is any incorrect grammar or missed spelled words.

My plan is to learn as much as possible and use it to get an OR job somewhere. They might not be what I thought they would be but I thank them for teaching me of what I had not known before. May be this is just a mini OR culture shock to me, I don't know.

Other than venting, I want to know if there are any positive OR stories out there. I want to hear it please. One of my friends told me a story when she worked with a beloved surgeon and how everyone was treated as a family member. The surgeon would fly nurses to get their already-paid CEU out of state (paid vacation in a way.) Too bad he is retired.

The good stories would keep me going. Thank You.

[Lorodz]

OMG ScrubRNwannabe! Your story is really, really depressing. It really paints a horrible portrait in the operating room.

Let me tell you my story.

I’m a registered nurse from a different country and migrated to the down under. Prior going to Australia, people were warning me that this is a racist country, that racism here is rampant. I was even more scared because I will be working in the theatre. The operating room is very different from other departments. It is a very close knit, fast paced environment.

When I arrived here and started working in big and busy Hospital, I was greeted and treated well with management (orientation day). When I started working inside the theatre, my clinical educator was very nice and accommodating. The people inside my theatre are not only exceptional in their skills, updated with their knowledge, well versed in the anatomy and physiology of each case but also very, very nice. Each of the preceptors that I work with everyday introduced me to the surgeon and the rest of the team. The surgeons would flash their big warm smile and would welcome me like a long lost family member. They would ask me questions on where I come from and my practice (I have theatre experience in my previous country). During the surgery, they (doctors or RN’s) would ask me to take a peek at the surgical site (without breaking sterility) to see the site they are working on (peek on the microscope for an ENT case, hover near the operative site during an open heart, etc). Some doctors would even discuss each step their doing to me.

There are some doctors who would bring food for the team to eat during breaks. And it’s for free! After the FREE treats, we help the doctor wash the plates and tidy the table.

My fellow RN’s also are nothing short of amazing. They are like brothers and sisters to me. They always look after me, making sure that I take my tea breaks and lunch breaks. Whenever there is a busy, busy day and the surgery is non-stop, there would be other staff walking in from time to time to relive you so that you can have your morning/afternoon/lunch break. My fellow RN’s would also ask me what I know about the procedure (to gauge on what I know and fill in the gaps) and would happily discuss with me the case and what instruments to give to the surgeon. (learning is facilitated here because it is not by rote memorization but rather by understanding)

I have only noticed that teamwork not only exists inside the theatre, but also the surgeons and fellow nurses treat even the orderlies and janitors as part of the team. They talk to them ask them how they are and even sometimes (if the nurses have time) would help them do their work (like mopping the floor for them or wiping the tables after procedures)

In our theatre it is a team. It is a great working environment. It is a big and busy hospital but you never notice the time, you never notice how tired you are because working in my theatre is very light because everyone is so nice. We are a family in there helping patients get the best care they deserve. Getting up every day and going to the hospital is not a chore, for me it is changing the world one patient at a time.

The theatre is a lovely place to be. From your story, it is a nightmare! I suggest you try working somewhere else. You might get employment and some skills if you get hired there. But it would only eat you. You might develop some trauma in the theatre and swear not to join this lovely field of nursing.

[LovedRN, BSN, RN]

Wow. That's my dream job. Thank you for sharing. I hope I will meet my dream family someday.