Today was my first day in OR!

Specialties Operating Room

Published

And I think I did ok. I tried to stick to my preceptor, didn't touch anything or do anything I wasn't sure of. At one point my precpt. had to leave the room for a minute while they were preparing a pt for a kyphoplasty and the surgeon put several paks of drapes in my hand (at that time I didn't know that's what they were) and said "open these". I said "and do what with them??....just so you know this is my first day here and I know NOTHING". He replied, "just open them and put them on this table....they don't have to be sterile". So I did. The anesthesiologist was a grouch and a whinny baby. One of his grips was that the pt that was to follow this case was a diabetic and NO ONE had called to tell him the pts fasting glucose was 175. He had the circ. call the preop and give 5 units of insulin NOW. He continued to gripe about one thing or another during this 1 1/2hr case. Then we get the next case...the diabetic pt, and when the surg is completed and the pt taken to PACU, an accucheck is done and guess what, it's 26mg/dl!! He orders a half dose of D50 and stays by her bedside until it comes back up. Duh.

Well, I'm excited about this. I know I made the right decision and want to learn everything I have to to be the best I can. The hospital I'm at has A LOT of problems and have lost and continue to lose experienced nurses in ER, OR, ICU as well as the floors. Recently ICU lost 9 nurses with at least 10 yrs experience each. The OR has lost 6 nurses and 3 techs. ER lost 3 nurses (one of them ME!) and more threatening to leave.

I know there are problems in the OR but I will focus on learning all I can and give it my best shot.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
And I think I did ok. I tried to stick to my preceptor, didn't touch anything or do anything I wasn't sure of. At one point my precpt. had to leave the room for a minute while they were preparing a pt for a kyphoplasty and the surgeon put several paks of drapes in my hand (at that time I didn't know that's what they were) and said "open these". I said "and do what with them??....just so you know this is my first day here and I know NOTHING". He replied, "just open them and put them on this table....they don't have to be sterile". So I did. The anesthesiologist was a grouch and a whinny baby. One of his grips was that the pt that was to follow this case was a diabetic and NO ONE had called to tell him the pts fasting glucose was 175. He had the circ. call the preop and give 5 units of insulin NOW. He continued to gripe about one thing or another during this 1 1/2hr case. Then we get the next case...the diabetic pt, and when the surg is completed and the pt taken to PACU, an accucheck is done and guess what, it's 26mg/dl!! He orders a half dose of D50 and stays by her bedside until it comes back up. Duh.

Well, I'm excited about this. I know I made the right decision and want to learn everything I have to to be the best I can. The hospital I'm at has A LOT of problems and have lost and continue to lose experienced nurses in ER, OR, ICU as well as the floors. Recently ICU lost 9 nurses with at least 10 yrs experience each. The OR has lost 6 nurses and 3 techs. ER lost 3 nurses (one of them ME!) and more threatening to leave.

I know there are problems in the OR but I will focus on learning all I can and give it my best shot.

:balloons: Congrats!! Sounds like a good day for you!! :balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Sounds like a good day. But me thinks, why does this hospital lose so many experienced nurses? Makes you wonder why. Something is wrong somewhere and I don't think it is situated only in one department but the hospital as a whole. When you lose that many experienced OR nurses something is up. Good, experienced OR nurses are probably, in my opinion, the hardest nurse to replace in any hospital. I am just a bit biased though. Good luck. Mike

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Sounds like a good day. But me thinks, why does this hospital lose so many experienced nurses? Makes you wonder why. Something is wrong somewhere and I don't think it is situated only in one department but the hospital as a whole. When you lose that many experienced OR nurses something is up. Good, experienced OR nurses are probably, in my opinion, the hardest nurse to replace in any hospital. I am just a bit biased though. Good luck. Mike

During the past 3yrs, we have gone from a non-profit to FOR profit after being bought out by a corporation. And they are squeezing nurses hard to do more with less staff. Us oldsters believe they'd love to see us out of here to replace us with cheaper newer nurses. Alot of us have been very loyal to this hospital and it was truly "like family" for so many years. Well those days are over and we have crummy equipment, horrible staffing (but many more demands for better customer service), and except for the yearly evaluation that they try HARD not to give over a 2%....no pay increase for the past 3 yrs. The management stinks all the way to the top but they have this "no negative attitudes or comments" tolerance.

Other than this it's a GREAT place to work! (heh heh). I was ready to leave myself but was so burned out from ER that I felt they owed it to me to train me in another specialty, on their dime :chuckle . If I want then I 'll stay another few years and if not then I've learned OR and I can go anywhere I want.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in PeriOp, ICU, PICU, NICU.

Congratulations :) :balloons:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Congratulations :) :balloons:

Thank You!! You all are so awesome!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hope day two went well for you! I remember opening packs of towels being my first big hurdle :) Sounds like you did OK with the drapes!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Good luck! Sounds like you have the right attitude. Learn all you can then if the situation doesn't get better then go on to greener pastures. Doesn't sound like the greatest place to work. Mike

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment