Areas of OR nursing

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 4, 2006

Neuro, Cardiac, and Ortho are all three the most challenging to me, more than General or Gyn. ENT cases (like facial fractures or radical necks) can be challenging, so can some of our urology cases, like nephrectomies.

It's in perception as well. I might think that something is more challenging, than would someone else.

MissJoRN, RN · Oct 6, 2006

Not only exposure but other experience factors.

I have trouble with neuro because by the time I got to it in orientation I was getting burned out/ overloaded by orientation. I just wasn't able to learn well. I had a small panic attack one day scrubbing in neuro- intimidated by the surgeon, the instruments, and a nurse with a terrifying reputation. Actually, I can scrub or circulate neuro cases quite well- every time I do one I remember Oh, yeah, not so bad, but I still can't shake the edgy feeling before I do one.

Ortho is very challenging to me because the surgeons have less tolerance for harmless mistakes or minor delays... so of course I make more of them! Also because I hated ortho in med-surg so why like it now. It's all my attitude problems.

A lot of people find eyes either challenging or easy from both a scrub and circ perspective. Different instruments and equipment, teeny sutures, instruments that are hard to differentiate until they're under the scope, lots of eye drops, sometimes desatting or wiggling patients, and a fast turnover. Works for some, not for others.

lostfromlatex · Oct 7, 2006

Well , I will answer this with a little sarcasm... the hardest thing about O.R. nursing is working in a room for eight hours with someone you have very little respect for because of how they treat people.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Oct 8, 2006

Well , I will answer this with a little sarcasm... the hardest thing about O.R. nursing is working in a room for eight hours with someone you have very little respect for because of how they treat people.

Or 12-16 hours.