Bad idea to go to OR as new grad?

[DMCRN]

I started working in the OR as a student nurse intern this summer and I really love it, especially after coming from the medical floor. The OR i am working in has put alot of time and effort into training me to scrub so that I will be able to both scrub and circulate when I graduate. I would love to work there as soon as I graduate and I know I would have no problem getting hired. What I am worried about is losing alot of the skills I learned in nursing school, and I know alot of people suggest med-surg experience first but I really hated the medical floor when I worked there as a student. My eventual goal is to either become a CRNA or PA...I love scrubbing but I just don't see myself circulating forever. My question is that if i decide to apply to CRNA school I know I need ICU experience first. What are my chances of getting hired into the ICU after going straight to the OR as a new grad? I've really been looking into CRNA school and I figured I could work in the OR as an RN while I finish up my bachelors degree (i will grad w/ an ASN this may) and then transfer to the ICU for a couple years before applying to CRNA school. How realistic is this? I think it might be a little easier and faster to get into PA school since I will have plenty of clinical experience. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[michellehb]

I had the same plans as well. Get my BSN, work in the OR for awhile and then off to a ICU floor for that experience to get into CRNA school. I'm sure there is somewhere that will take nurses with no experience in the ICU. You might have to cross train while you are still working in the OR to get that ICU experience.

If you do want to be a CRNA, I think the OR experience will give you an extra advantage. I've seen plenty of SRNAs in my OR that have never even set foot in an OR before their clinicals and they look so lost.

This is strictly my opinion but being a new grad I wouldn't think you have these awesome skills to lose. I went straight into the OR and if need be, I can learn how to put an NG tube down someone again.

Good luck!

[shodobe]

I think if your manager knew you "only" wanted to work for awhile in the OR just to skip off to the ICU, you wouldn't hired. No manager wants to waste their time, money and staff knowledge on someone who just wants to get a "taste" of the OR just to complete their plan to become a CRNA. Why don't you just go on to the ICU and not waste people's time with training you just for you to drop it after a few years. It takes a lot of time and effort on the department to train you properly and if you are just "passing" through why bother? I wouldn't hire you based on this mentality. Be honest with yourself and the people around you and just go into the ICU. I for one want to only train someone who will make the OR a career and not just a stopover.

[michellehb]

My manager actually supported me when I told him I wanted to become a CRNA and that I might be leaving to get ICU experience in a few years.

[ghorjus_hunk]

i went straight to OR after graduating.

so far i have no problems with skills.

with regards to ICU training, you may have to crosstrain to smoothen a transition..

btw, have you not considered PACU nursing?

in my area with are crosstraining as OR-DR-PACU nurse.

had months of exposure in PACU and as far as skills and judgement is concerned, i think i have gained lots..

and ..with all humbleness, some anesthesiologist have expressed their positive remarks on my practice, going even as far as saying that i already got better than my senior nurses... well, that perhaps was down to my unending questioning with regards to pain management and postop management..

good luck!