Any LPNs working as Surgical Techs?

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I'm an experienced LPN whose been stuck in LTC for the past 10 years. My intentions have always been to go back to school to finish my nursing degree but I've had to put it on hold d/t the economy and caring for my family. I recently lost my job and am now in search of a new job. The thought of working in another LTC facility literally makes me ill. I have hated LTC since day one but stuck it out because there wasn't anything else out there. I despise going to work to the same thing every single day... Pass meds, do a few treatments, do a whole lot of charting... I'm a fast learning, technical/clinical type of nurse.. Whenever we had a new resident come in with wound VACs or IVs or anything of that nature I was one of the first to jump in! My nursing instructors always said I was the student who thrived the most with the clinically complex patients! Anyways, this evening I saw an ad posted for a surg tech position, licensing requirements were CST or LPN. I would love this job I think, except I lack the experience... :-( I have the drive and ambition to learn just not sure how I can convince the hiring manager of this! Any input, suggestions, or stories of experience in the OR would be greatly appreciated!!

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The hospital would have to train you to be able to scrub. This is probably expensive - so hospitals in this economy probably won't want to do that. You could also do s Surgical tech Associates degree at a community college. then you will have the skills to scrub and the hospital will probably not need to spend a lot of time training you to their OR. I LOVE the OR!

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just go for it! if that's what interests you just do it. if they like you and feel you have the drive and right personality they'll train you. you have years of experience in ltc and that should count for something. i would apply for it cuz the worst thing they can tell you is no and we all know we get a lot of "nos'" when applying for work so what's one more? :) don't let fear stand in your way. this could be the career change you've been waiting for. put your best foot forward and just do it. ;)

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Apply for the job and check it out it wont hurt.

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Specializes in Orthopedics, and Home care.

I'm a LPN who works in the OR. I have worked on the med surg floor as a LPN for on year, hated it. Now I'm back in the OR where I belong.. I worked as a surg tech for many years , the. Went back to school for my LPN.. I love nursing but not as floor nurse. Surg tech make more money then LPN in a hosp anyway. It's a great experience , I love working in the OR and have no regrets with my decision.. It's a great skill,. Go for it and apply, take it one step at a time

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I find that very interesting tbehlow - I always assumed that you had to be an RN to be in the OR. The hospital that I work at doesn't even hire LPNs anymore - they will only consider RNs who have a BSN. I work as a nursing assistant even though I'm an LPN. I am looking for a second job as an LPN at maybe a nursing home or in at home care. I say a second job as I don't want to give up my acute care hospital job, even though it's only as an aide. I value that acute care hospital experience and the hospital contacts and networking. I've just enrolled in an LPN to BSN program. I don't start classes till Feb though. I've always wanted to end up getting surgical nurse experience but it's something I've never really told anyone, I've just kept it quietly within my heart and mind. The hospital where I work doesn't really hire nurses for the OR to the best of my knowledge - they hire "surgical techs". Maybe I could go that route and take some community college classes as a surgical technologist. Here my LPN licensing won't get me very far.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I always assumed that you had to be an RN to be in the OR

Depends on the role the LPN is fulfilling and the state's laws. Many states mandate that the circulator must be an RN. Medicare/Medicaid requires an RN to be immediately available. However, with experience as a surgical technologist, my guess would be that tbehlow currently fulfills the scrub role, as a surgical technologist. I worked with an LPN who scrubbed. He was not allowed to circulate. Here's a summary of state laws in regards to RN as circulator in the hospital: RN Circulator Hospitals Grid

And here's one for ambulatory surgery centers: RN Circulator ASCs Grid

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In Canada, only an LPN with post grad education can work in the OR. Educated to perform the scrub or circulating role.

All for an extra $1/hr.

Surgical Techs just don't exist here.

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

When I attended an LPN-to-RN completion program 4 years ago, one of my classmates was an LPN with a job as a scrub tech in the OR of a major hospital. However, she had held the position for many years and was trained to do it with OJT (on the job training).

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When I attended an LPN-to-RN completion program 4 years ago, one of my classmates was an LPN with a job as a scrub tech in the OR of a major hospital. However, she had held the position for many years and was trained to do it with OJT (on the job training).

Yeah, those were the days - when you could become a (whatever) by learning as a trainee right on the job. Seems like there were more avenues and opportunities back than - Don't get me wrong - education is always good - but some requirements seem to shut a lot of people out of things

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Specializes in Orthopedics, and Home care.

Your all correct. I am a LPN who fulfills the surg tech role, which is what I love Like I said before , tried floor nursing and it's not for me. I will eventually enroll in a LPN RN bridge program and when I do receive my RN I will continue my nursing in the OR

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Specializes in Adult ICU/PICU/NICU.

In my day, we learned how to scrub when we were in nursing school. When you graduated, we could work anywhere in the hospital where we trained. That was the way of the old hospital based diploma programs and most of the nurses from those programs have retired or are close to retirement. That said, the hospital were I used to work at had several LPNs in the OR. They could scrub, work in PACU or in pre op holding, but couldn't legally circulate.

The operating room was my least favorite rotation in school. I found surgery fascinating, but found the average surgeon to be not to my liking. Now, if I would have been an RN, I could see myself as a CRNA....but that wasn't the path that my life took and it worked out all the same.

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