Words of advice please :)

Specialties Operating Room

Published

I will be graduating with my BSN Aug 06 and am interested in the OR/peroperative area of nursing. I did a couple of rotations through our County hospital OR and I loved it. Being task oriented a quick study and (not so touchy feely), it appeared to be the place for me.

So - how do I get started in the OR? Will I have to do a year on med/surg to get my foot in the door? Is this a network thing? Are there other characteristics I should possess to be a good OR RN? Should I be shadowing now? Is there a book or site I should read/visit to get better insight? I have been perusing the AORN site along with numerous dogpile searches on the matter.

also - do the nurses in the OR tell students they will be good candidates for OR because they really are or because they are short staffed? :confused:

I look forward to your reply oh great and wise ones.

Cheers -

VIVA!;)

0 Votes
Specializes in OR.

Don't know how great and wise I am but here goes:D Some of the qualities that are needed in the OR are: an ability to think critically and fast(because a case can go bad very quickly), being a good team player, thick skin(once and a while people can get cranky) and a good pair of OR shoes are definitely needed because you spend a lot of time on your feet.

I have also been told by instructors and older nurses to get a year of med/surg but in my opinion, if you know you like the OR, it's not really needed. While most OR's are in need of staff, it's been my experience that they can usually tell who'd be a good fit for the OR fairly quickly. We get some students in the OR that you can tell are interested and quick learners. I would recommend trying an internship so you can get an in-depth view of the OR. Good Luck!:wink2:

0 Votes

Get in a new grad program for OR or be prepared to get stuck in med/surg for a year or two. I would avoid hospitals that require "paying your dues" in bedside nursing to "earn" critical care nursing. It is not needed nor is it helpful to OR nursing. IMHO

0 Votes

For me, I am not an RN yet, but have been in O.R. for about 3 yrs. I started as a CNA, then worked into a scrub position. Currently, I work as an LPN in O.R.

If I were you, I would get some med/surg first because I am told a lot of OR's require that initially.

As far as books, I reccommend "Pocket Guide to the Operating Room". It was given to me as a gift and I love it.

The pros of OR are a set schedule with holidays/weekends off most of the time. You do have to take call however. (Which I hate) Qualities I think are important: Definitely a proactive nurse. Surgeons want you to have what they need before they ask. You have to have great anticipation skills. That goes for a scrub and a circulator. You have to be prepared for anything because any case can go sour or take a different turn. Also, if you love patient care and interaction, OR is not for you.

I am ready to leave O.R. personally. I love talking with patients and being at the bedside.

Good Luck!

Shelly

0 Votes

There are OR internship programs that accept new grads straight from school. I graduated in December with my BSN and have been accepted into an OR Internship. It lasts 6months and requires a 1yr commitment beyond the internship, which is fine with me. The internship trains mostly for circulating, but includes some scrub and we also have the opportunity to take part in a 3-month scrub class down the road, hopefully this fall.

I also had 2+ years of experience as a tech in the same hospital's Level 1 ED, and many aspects of my job (fast pace, setting up equipment, anticipating needs, dealing with quickly changing scenarios) translate very nicely to the OR. You will find many opinions about moving directly into an area like the ED or OR without prior med-surg or critical care experience, but IMHO you should go where you will be happy. Good luck!

0 Votes

Well heres my own contribution to this posting for what its worth. I have found that the new grads who spend 12 months gaining management on the units before coming to the OR are far far better then the straight from school nurses. I believe this is because once u qualify as an RN and work on the unit you cease to be a "student", are given responsibility and mature quickly as a person and professional. However when student nurses come to the OR immediately after qualifying they are again "students" while they gain experience. The difference is astounding I have found. I must say I am really disapppointed with your viewpoint of us being so "task orientated". Do you believe we look at our clients as bodies without souls. I am not being picky just disappointed. I have comforted a 39 year old mother of 2 kids this week who has months to live. I have sat with an elderly woman whose husband has left her for a younger woman. Two nights ago I held the hand of a man with a AAA. I knew his chances were slim as he was put under anaesthetic so wanted him to feel the warmth of another human in an otherwise clinical environment. He died and after I laid him out I then had to bring his family through to see him and answer questions and look after them until the viewing was over. Task orientated is when you believe that handing inanimated objects to a surgeon is the most important function in the OR. In fact our role is and should be assessing our whole environment, the people in it and managing to make sense of the chaos. That requires a lot more then using your hands and making quick decisions. It requires instinct, maturity, compassion, humanity. Perioperative nurses are a breed of their own. I guess I'm biased. I hope you go into the OR Las vegas, but dont concentrate on the smaller picture, take it all in.

0 Votes
+ Add a Comment