Advice Please

Thick skin...don't take anything personally...it's not you...it may take awhile before you actually feel like you're NOT an idiot (and that's ok). I wanted the OR too..more than anything...my orientation was 6 months long but it was almost a year before I didn't feel like an idiot. But, I LOVE the OR, only place I've ever wanted to be. Hang in there (I tell you this in advance).

MereSanity BSN, RN, CNOR

Definitely thick skin! Surgeon's can be ruthless, especially of its a difficult case, they've had a long day, or it's the middle of the night. Don't take their hatefulness personally. Same with more experienced nurses and scrubs. If you're not doing something correctly or the way they want, remind them you're still learning and would be happy for them to show you how they do it.

Another way to help you survive is to have a small notebook in your pocket that you can write down surgeon specifics they you can refer back to whenever you work with that surgeon. Every surgeon wants something different and there is no way you'll remember it all at first.

A 3rd piece of advice, learn everything, not just one specialty, at least in the beginning. Each specialty does things differently and learning it all makes you more knowledgable as a whole and makes you more marketable should you chose to change hospitals at some point. Not to mention, you are familiar with the surgeons and equipment should you get called in for a case in the middle of the night or on a weekend.

Yes....I wrote everything down and referred to it for about a year...even the Drs favorite radio stations...it was my brain and I couldn't have survived without it!

Thank you for the great advice.