What do OR nurses do anyway?

[greyL]

I just applied to a new grad OR nurse program, but I actually don't really know what OR nurses do. Does it include pre-op and post-op care, or will I be stuck in the operating room all day long handing instruments to a doctor??

Also, I apologize if this has been asked before. I went back a few pages and didn't see anything.

[lozstar, BSN, MSN, RN]

As mentioned before by other people before there are distinct roles in the operating room - the scout nurse, scrub nurse and anaesthetic nurse. Depending on where you work some of these roles may overlap. For instance, as the scout nurse sometimes I do the pre-op checklist for the patient prior to them coming into the operating room which in many other hospitals where I have worked this is primarily the responsibility of the anaesthetic nurse. However, the most important role of a nurse in the operating room is to ensure the patient's advocacy. Personally, I love the operating room because everyday is different, I love the team atmosphere and only looking after one patient at a time!

[Poochiewoochie]

We are your patient advocate...in some scary hospitals, preventing the surgeon from operating on the wrong site...fighting to keep you safe from retained foreign body, infections, fires, nerve injuries, anyone giving you the wrong medications, among a thousand other things that can and could go wrong. Thankless job and most people don't know exactly what we do. Preventing and fighting anyone from doing harm to the patient no matter how much we get yelled at for doing and fighting for what is right for the patient. We MAKE everyone in the room follow rules, policies, procedures and guidelines that otherwise would not follow since they feel they can bend rules or shortcut you in what is right. That's my rant...been fighting for my patients at some of the most scariest hospitals for the last 10 years and hopefully will continue for awhile.

Thank you for being the advocate for us patients while we are under and can't speak for ourselves. I've had 5 surgeries in the past 2 years and I never did get a chance to thank the nurses in the OR or PACU for being there. You guys are pretty much forgotten I guess but what you do is VERY important.