Ask an OR nurse (Questions about what we do or how to become one of us)

Specialties Operating Room

Published

I've gotten a couple of PMs from members asking about a job as an OR nurse. In the interests of sharing those questions with anyone interested in a career as an OR nurse, I thought I'd start a thread for those questions to be posted. I'll check in regularly and answer the ones I can, and I'm sure the other regulars here in the OR forum will share their knowledge as well.

So, what would you like to know about OR nursing?

Edited to add: Tips for new operating room nurses

Edited again to add: Soooo, you're observing in the operating room (O.R.)...

Edited yet again to add: What do Operating Room Nurses Do?

(I just keep refinding older threads that are good resources)

I guess I'm on the minority: I still believe it's a team effort as far as initiating the count. I work with excellent scrub techs, who have no qualms about saying "can we count?". As I often scrub, there were many times during a vascular case that I want to do a quick sponge & needle count during the case. Those 8-0 prolene suture needles are pretty tiny, & some docs have a bad habit of just dropping them on the Mayo stand. My point is that in our facility, the scrub asks for a count anytime they feel it's needed. Closing counts should be the responsibility of both scrub and circulator. That's why you're on an OR "Team"!

Like I said in an earlier post, I think it's a team effort. I scrub more than I circulate and I initiate the count 90% of the time. But if this poster has been told that they have to initiate all the counts, then that is what they are going to have to do. I never said that I agreed with.

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The policy is vague as to who initiates it. Nothing like that is mentioned.

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I just can't imagine a scrub not saying anything... I mean... Of course you should be paying attention as the circulator. But I think it's pretty assholish for whoever is scrubbed not to say anything.

The scrubs are great where I work....

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I have been in my OR residency for about 2 weeks and I'm loving it! You never really realize how easy it is to break sterility (luckily this hasn't happened during an actual surgery). There's so much I'm learning and still need to learn.

This thread helped me so much before I started and just thought I'd come back and give it a bump :)

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I have been in my OR residency for about 2 weeks and I'm loving it! You never really realize how easy it is to break sterility (luckily this hasn't happened during an actual surgery). There's so much I'm learning and still need to learn.

This thread helped me so much before I started and just thought I'd come back and give it a bump :)

Yay! Glad you are liking it so much so far. There will be good days and there will be bad days. The sub-sterile is a good place to cry if you need to[emoji12]

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I enjoyed reading this post. I will be an OR nurse as a new grad. I will graduate in May and start at a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in June as an OR nurse. Every time I mention to someone that I accepted an OR position people say "oh, that's just a lot of charting" or something along those lines. It's really nice to hear some positive feedback.

Could you tell me a little about what it's like to be on-call? Have you worked at large facilities? How often do you actually get called in?

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Could you tell me a little about what it's like to be on-call? Have you worked at large facilities? How often do you actually get called in?

This is going to vary a lot depending on the facility, but here's how it works for me:

I only cover cardiac surgery. We only staff for cardiac surgery from 7a-3:30p. However, it is not uncommon for our surgeries to go later. In fact, today we didn't finish until 5:15. So, because I'm the person on call, I stayed late.

Now, I'm sitting at home with my cell phone within reach while surfing AN and watching TV. If it rings, I'll be jumping up and heading out to the garage. I must be in the OR, changed and ready to bring in my patient 30 minutes after I get the call. So, I can still do things, but am limited in what and where.

I do stay late much more frequently than getting called in. Typical things I get called in for are return to OR for control of postoperative bleeding, stabbings, gunshots, and ECMO. Depending on how stable the patient is, I may have one heck of a hectic time when I'm called in or it may be just like a scheduled case. Saying how often I get called in is kind of impossible- last pay period I had 26 hours of call back time. The pay period before that, I had 30 minutes. There's just no rhyme or reason.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

Seeing interest in OR nursing from those who have just graduated and are on the hunt for a job, so bumping this one up!

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I've been wondering if I would fit in to the OR specialty. This thread has helped me realize I would most certainly fit!

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I am thinking of getting into OR nursing. I have almost 3 years exp in floor and ICU in a level 1 trauma center. I don't love being at the bedside but I love being in the hospital. I was thinking this could be a good way to go. Any thoughts of how this would looks to an OR nurse manager- i did 1.5 years on an adult floor and now i'm in the PICU. i dont want to do bedside anymore but i'm not sure that would be a good thing to say.

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Specializes in BSN, RN, CCRN - ICU & ER.
I am thinking of getting into OR nursing. I have almost 3 years exp in floor and ICU in a level 1 trauma center. I don't love being at the bedside but I love being in the hospital. I was thinking this could be a good way to go. Any thoughts of how this would looks to an OR nurse manager- i did 1.5 years on an adult floor and now i'm in the PICU. i dont want to do bedside anymore but i'm not sure that would be a good thing to say.

I also interested in hearing the response to this question. I am a ICU nurse looking to transfer to the OR. I am feeling burned out from floor nursing and have always found the OR fascinating. I originally wanted to get into the OR as a new grad years ago, but was told to get floor experience so I didn't lose my skills. I wish I had ignored that advice as I now know the OR is a completely different and challenging specialty!

Any advice about how to transition into the OR would be great!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I am thinking of getting into OR nursing. I have almost 3 years exp in floor and ICU in a level 1 trauma center. I don't love being at the bedside but I love being in the hospital. I was thinking this could be a good way to go. Any thoughts of how this would looks to an OR nurse manager- i did 1.5 years on an adult floor and now i'm in the PICU. i dont want to do bedside anymore but i'm not sure that would be a good thing to say.

Well, first of all, OR nursing is still bedside in that you are still providing direct care to a patient, so you definitely do not want to say that you don't want to be bedside anymore. Have a list of what draws you to the OR and why you think it will be a good fit for you. OR managers typically aren't keen on those who are just looking to see if OR nursing might be what they want to do- we spend a hell of a lot of time training you (6months-1year!) and would like to at least break even on the investment.

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