Any OR travelers?

suzanne4, RN · Jan 16, 2006

I travelled for years in the OR. I highly recommend that you have at least two years of experience after your orientation is completed before going this route. You need to be able to function immediately, you may only get an orientation for a day to the paperwork.

I suggest that you try per diem agency in the OR in your area first, to see how you deal with that. You need enough confidence behind you to just jump in.

One facility, I my first day began at 11 am as lunch relief, and it was in a heart room. Luckily, I had years of hear experience, and this was starting the case there. The patient had just been in the room about twenty minutes, another first day of orientation, did an emergency heart, and then found someone to help with the computer charting on their system.

Things can vary widely, and you need to be able to just jump in........

Set-ups can vary widely, some can keep everything all in one room, with back-up trays for everything, and others you need to call done to sterile processing for anything that you will need.

That is why experience is so important. And learning how to make do without something that you have always used in a particular case but the new place doesn't have.

Pitbullgirl · Jan 16, 2006

Thanks Suzanne. I wouldn't want to travel in any specialty until I had at least 2 years. It's an option I'm considering for waaay down the road. For now, I am thrilled to be orienting at my Level 1 Hospital where I know I will get great training and experience.