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.
I've been an MS/T nurse for about 6 years. I've always been interested in OR but my concern is honestly being gowned up like I'm working in an isolation room for hours on end.
Honestly, how do you do it??
Is the room temp set to 20 degrees??
If I have on a mask and gown for 30 minutes I feel hot and sick like I'm going to pass out...
Is OR nursing something I could even consider?
Also, how much are you standing in one spot?
I would be hot from the cap, gown, and mask, locking my knees and dropping like a lead balloon..
My questions probably sound ridiculous, but these are honestly things that prevent me from even considering any sort of OR position.
You get used to the mask/gown and being sterile. It's funny, once I was an OR nurse for a while I forgot I had it on. You get to know people from the eyes up, ha!
You will also find ways to stand comfortably in one spot for hours while you're sterile. Some cases your circulator will be nice enough to get you a chair!
I've never been that cold in the OR, like OP stated its usually in the 60's unless you're in a cardiac OR.
Absolutely the worst thing is to have is a cold with a drippy nose, or GI issues!
Do you really have to stand for hours on end while sterile, so you can't sit down? That sounds so tiresome, how often does that happen?
What temperature do they keep cardiac OR's at?
Depends on the case, but yes it happens. When I was an OR nurse we only had one half hour lunch break that you could stretch the 40 mins without too many complaints. You can shift you're weight from foot to foot, lean on the OR bed, you find ways to be comfortable. Not sure about the cardiac OR temp..
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
Do you really have to stand for hours on end while sterile, so you can't sit down? That sounds so tiresome, how often does that happen?
Sometimes. It depends on a few factors: the type of surgery, the surgeon's speed, and the surgeon's preference. The type of surgery and the surgeon's speed can affect how long the surgery lasts, and therefore how long staff are scrubbed in. As for surgeon's preference, some will sit for certain procedures and will request (as is best practice) for all scrubbed staff to sit as well.
What temperature do they keep cardiac OR's at?
This will also depend on the type of procedure and surgeon's preference. If it's a surgery where cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)isn't used such as OPCAB (off pump coronary artery bypass), the surgeon may request the room be kept warmer since having the chest cavity open causes the patient's body temperature to drop. In fact, my facility's policy states that the temperature for an OPCAB OR is to be set at 80 degrees. However, the vast majority of cardiac procedures do involve CPB and the rooms are generally kept in the mid-60s. We do have one surgeon who requests that the room temp be increased to 75 degrees when we begin the rewarding process but while on CPB and hypothermic is in the mid-60s.
Do you really have to stand for hours on end while sterile, so you can't sit down? That sounds so tiresome, how often does that happen?
Yes. You can stand for hours on end. Like PP have said, it depends on the case, surgeon, etc. Also, keep in mind there are certain cases where you might not get break/lunch relief during. At my facility, scrubs are never scrubbed out of a case for a break but will be scrubbed out for lunch depending on the case. Certain cases, the circulator won't be offered a break or lunch until the case is over either.
I kinda interested in being an OR nurse. The thing is, I am a new grad in psych. I expect to be in my unit for a minimum of two years... Would it even be possible to move from psych to OR nursing after a few years in psych? Are there any training programs I can do (even at my expense) to gain some experience? Thanks!
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
I kinda interested in being an OR nurse. The thing is, I am a new grad in psych. I expect to be in my unit for a minimum of two years... Would it even be possible to move from psych to OR nursing after a few years in psych? Are there any training programs I can do (even at my expense) to gain some experience? Thanks!
I've seen nurses from multiple specialties transfer into the OR. Some have flourished, some have floundered, but that seems more related to personality than the specialty they came from.
There re are some programs that exist that you can pay to take. My personal opinion is that they are a waste of time and money. What makes knowledge stick is the doing that goes with the classroom- and if you find a course that offers a clinical component, you'll still need the thorough orientation to an OR that hires you to learn their way of doing things. I would just look into facilities that offer a thorough structured orientation, whether it's something like AORN's Periop101 or their own.
So I am currently a surgical tech and will also be finishing with my BSN in August '16. Do you think that it is smart to keep my certification for surgical tech to improve chances of getting RN job in OR after graduation? I plan on moving out of the are I currently work in so I am thinking that it would look better on my resume if I stay certified, maybe even get compensated for my 5 years experience at a level one trauma center. What do you think?
I think you can make the jump. If you have the right attitude and show genuine interest in learning about the OR environment, you should be able to make the transition. Go for it!!
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
So I am currently a surgical tech and will also be finishing with my BSN in August '16. Do you think that it is smart to keep my certification for surgical tech to improve chances of getting RN job in OR after graduation? I plan on moving out of the are I currently work in so I am thinking that it would look better on my resume if I stay certified, maybe even get compensated for my 5 years experience at a level one trauma center. What do you think?
I'm not sure if certification will matter as much as the experience- as an ST, you'll be more versatile in that you would be able to scrub or circulate. Maintaining the certification may be more of a personal choice, but maybe someone who actually evaluates applications will chime in.
As for increased compensation, that will also vary from facility to facility. Some may not offer additional compensation for non-nursing experience; others may add a little extra to the base pay. My facility has hired several STs who went on to complete nursing school, and there was a formula that credited them for a portion of their ST experience when determining starting pay.
Why do patients have to be completely naked, even underpants off for (for example) a blepharoplasty? Or other "minor" surgeries not close to that area of the body?
Why does every piece of jewelry need to be removed? Can electrocautery arch to the jewelry? Or is it to prevent jewelry falling off? A ring on a finger for a inguinal hernia or a bunionectomy? All jewelry off? Or cover with tape?
Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN
6 Articles; 12,054 Posts
Surely not everyone's questions about OR nursing could have been answered in just a few pages... keep those questions coming!