OR nurse or PACU?

[agape76]

I've been currently working in an outpatient dialysis unit for more than 3 years in So.Cal.

I used to work in med/sug for 2years,OR for 6 1/2 years outside of U.S which mainly dealt with GS,transplant surgery not neuro or orthpedics.I've dreamed of going back to OR but I think it would be okay to expose myself in a different area to broaden my knowledge to PACU.

One day, one of my pts husband came to me, he's going through Lap.cholecystectomy which I've done it thousands of times back in my country.I explained him that I don't know how the surgery will go in U.S but informed him with my previous vivid experience.He came to me again a couple of days later,the surgeon explained him exactly the same I did.

Also, the other day, one of my patients who's very close to me,always jokes around, told me he's had abd.pain for a couple of days pointing out RLQ, reminding me of Appendicitis.He had N/V,rebound tenderness,too.I told him I'm gonna send him to ER after dialysis to check up.First of all, he didn't take it seriously,saying"I'll be okay,Don't worry about it" I reinforced to explain him how it will be if he donesn't go on time to get surgery.Finally, he got emergency appendectomy that night without any complications.

Do you guys think that it's better for me to go back to OR nurse or challenge myself to PACU?Also, Am I eligible to apply a hopital OR/PACU experienced outside of U.S?

I've heard that in the U.S, OR nurses do circulating more than scrub and have to work with surgical techs.I've worked with dialysis techs,too.I can imagine a little bit how it's like. Also, some grouchy surgeons......

I don't mind to get oncalls.Been there,done that as a charge nurse and preceptor.

Thanks for comments in advance all.

[daVinciNurse]

The ORs I have worked in have hired "international travelers" in the past to fill short term needs through an agency. The nurses were fully licensed in the state they worked in while in the US, but most of their training/school/experience was in another country. They did very well, we loved them and they loved us! As long as you are properly licensed (which can take some time from what I understand), I don't see you having a problem. Yes, RNs here tend to circulate more, but I also get to scrub (just never as much as I would like to!!). The STs I work with are great, and just as there are some RNs I have a difficult time working with, there are some STs I have difficulty working with...It's usually more of a personality thing than an RN vs ST thing in my experience.

[agape76]

Thank you so much for your comments,I have confidence in myself to move on next level.

FYI,I've worked in dialysis unit more than 3years in southern CA.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Agape, in my experience, I have found that nurses that have trained and worked for several years in another country do BETTER than nurses grown in the US. International nurses are able to acclimate better into different situations and tend to be more proactive. I absolutely ADORE them. I learn so much from them.

I have also worked in the PACU and loved it. You have a great deal of autonomy and you are able to use your assessment and critical thinking skills much more so than you do in the OR. If you feel the need to broaden your experience, then go this route. If you find that you would rather go back to the OR and see what it is like in the US, you would be able to comfortably accept and learn about new things since you already have the foundation of OR nursing. Yes, the surgeons can be a little grouchy, but they aren't total buttheads all of the time. You would be circulating more than scrubbing, but if you become specialized (like in hearts, sports med, spines, eyes, robots), then you will probably scrub more.

Good luck to you!