Question to NEW GRADS in the OR

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Specializes in Operating Room.

Hi everyone,

To those new grads that went straight to OR......

1. Did you have the oppurtunity to work as an SNA in the perioperative area?

2. Did you shadow in the OR during school?

3. We're you able to easily find new grad OR programs in your areas?

4. Are there any that DID NOT work as an SNA and still get into a new grad program?

Thank you any and all who might answer these questions. I have one year of school left and I'm so excited to start a career in the OR that I want to plan ahead so I may transition directly into a new grad program. I'm already working as an SNA/CNA and I'm currently looking to shadow in the OR. I'm not having very much luck finding contacts, but I'll keep trying. AORN has a student membership I'm thinking about getting. Hoping that'll connect me with some shadow oppurtunities, as well as provide some valuable info.

:D

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

Get the AORN student membership and start attending meetings in your area. Also, if you have a final year "practicum" (or something similar) elect to spend a semester in the OR - you will make contacts and should us this time as one long job interview. It can be difficult to break into the OR, especially as a new grad if you don't know anybody. Start making those contacts now (through the AORN) and it will serve you well.

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Hi,

I'm currently in my 5th month of orientation (1 more month to go!). I went straight to the OR after graduation. I shadowed in the OR three times during school, but knew after the first time I shadowed that it was the place for me.

There were three places in my area that were hiring new grads into the OR. I interviewed at two of the hospitals and was offered a new grad position at both places.

I wasn't an SNA in periop, but I worked as a tech on a med/surg unit during school. None of my fellow OR orientees worked as SNA's in periop.

My suggestion to you is to shadow in different hospital OR's as much as you can during nursing school. E-mail nurse recruiters expressing your interest in shadowing, or ask your clinical instructors if you could shadow for a few hours in the OR during clinical. This will get your foot in the door and possibly make contacts with OR directors or OR nurse educators (perfect for when you're ready to interview for jobs).

Good luck!

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First and only job interview before I graduated nursing school and so happy I'm here in the OR. Had no experience prior either. Had over a year orientation and a few months in my specialty. From what I hear, other nurses from other fields are pretty much in the same boat. Just a different type of nursing and a LOT to absorb. I've been told that it takes up to 2 years to feel comfortable.

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I'm so happy to hear so many of you, like me, who felt OR was their calling as a nurse, were able to land a job as a new grad. This gives me great hope!

I'm shadowing tomorrow morning (:D:D:D:D) at the same OR I had my clinical rotation at! I was able to contact the nurse educator through the hospital's website and had the shadow scheduled within a couple days. I'll heed the advice of tring520 and continue to shadow this summer at various hosptials.

Thanks so much for advice, you guys rock. :up:

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Specializes in Operating Room.

I just started in the OR as a graduate nurse and I did do a year of student nurse work before I started in which I mainly learned to scrub, and I am very glad I did so because it is very overwhelming. In nursing school we only had 1 day of clinical in the OR which wasn't even a full day so it was useless. It is very hard in my area to find a student nurse tech position in the OR, I was apparently the 1st student in 8 yrs and they just told me they are getting rid of the position due to the budget. Most OR's don't accept new grads with no OR experience so if you find one you are very lucky. I used to be SNA on the med/surg floor before I transferred to the OR so if they allow you that option, take it.

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Specializes in primary care, surgery.

I was one who went into a preceptorship and it was very hard. I recommend that you first decide what kind of surgery you want to work in and then go for it. I was at a small hospital that did a little bit of everything so you had to know everything. Also, the small hospitals cater to the doctors no matter how badly they treat the nurses. You should find a big teaching hospital.

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.
I was one who went into a preceptorship and it was very hard. I recommend that you first decide what kind of surgery you want to work in and then go for it. I was at a small hospital that did a little bit of everything so you had to know everything. Also, the small hospitals cater to the doctors no matter how badly they treat the nurses. You should find a big teaching hospital.

Even in the larger hospitals you need to be competent in all of the services because of the need for "call". You may have a specialty that you work in predominantly, but you will need to be able to virtually anything that comes through the door in an emergent surgery (unless, of course, you work in a surgery center rather than a hospital with an emergency room to support).

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Pedi/Tele.

I wanted to say thanks to the OP and all the comments.... I too have been thinking that would be an area I wanted to get into after graduation.... I currently work as a CNA in a children's hospital. Would it be wise to look into job shadowing at this early juncture? I still have several years till I graduate.

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Hi I am wondering if the OR Rn needs to take a special program or have qualifications to work in the OR. I am from Canada and plan on moving to the US and would like to work in the OR. In Canada RN's have to take a perioperative course that is quite expensive. Do hospitals in the US train RN's with med/surg experience to work in the OR? Any suggestions for me?

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