Becoming an OR Nurse!

KeyMaster · Sep 21, 2009

Congrats on your upcoming graduation! I knew too from my OR rotation in nursing school that the OR was the only place I wanted to be. Ever.

That being said, I would STRONGLY suggest that you work on a med-surg floor for at least a year (minimum) or (preferrably) two. I worked in the OR for over 17 years, but the two years I worked in med-surg (required before applying for an OR position in my day) were invaluable. You need to learn to be a nurse before becoming an RN in a specialty. The reality shock between nursing school and nursing cannot be overstated and there really is all that stuff about developing critical thinking skills, prioritization, judgement, timing and plain old hands-on task performance.

I currently co-teach a perioperative training class to bring nurses into the OR. It is a 6 month program; approximately 2/3 of the GNs/new RNs drop out or fail the course because they simply don't have the basic nursing skills necessary to build on to develop specialty skills. Trust me, your preceptor wants to teach you how to be an OR nurse, not how to insert a foley, hang an IVPB, start an IV or any of the other things we expect you to perform effortlessly.

I am sure there are other points of view, I am just expressing what I have experienced. I do not want to discourage you from becoming an OR nurse, but I want to encourage you to be as successful as possible when you do become one.

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 22, 2009

I went straight to the OR after graduation. Do I regret it? No. Do I think I may have missed out on a few things? Yes. But I'm happy in my job, and I know that I would have been completely miserable on the floor.

ceamaifrumoasafata23 · Sep 23, 2009

Is there a way to become a OR RN with a course ? Are u still teaching that ?

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 23, 2009

While you can take courses at some places, most hospitals will have an extensive orientation program- ours is 6 months supervised and 60 days solo with backup.

ceamaifrumoasafata23 · Sep 24, 2009

Thanks alot ! I just wonder what type of courses ...can u give me any names I can search online for the area where I live -Miami ,Fl . ? Do u have to be BSN or RN with an associate is fine .... here most hospitals will just require one year experience so it is kind of difficult .

Editorial Team / Admin · Sep 24, 2009

You can check with AORN to see if the periop101 course is offered anywhere near you, but my personal belief is that you will be better off with just orientation- that way you learn the specifics for that facility according to the P&P you would be expected to follow as an employee. If you are a student, you can join AORN at a reduced rate. If not, and you're truly interested in OR nursing, the $100 annual fee truly is worth it- reduced cost CE, discounts on certification exams, and some more. Check out www.aorn.org

BethCNOR, BSN, RN · Sep 25, 2009

The OR is a great place to work. I've been there for 27 years. Your enthusiasm is great. I agree that you should have some general nursing experience before getting into a specialty. My hospital in NC has a nurse residency program for the OR. You may want to check into that. Learning the OR is difficult. There is a whole lot to learn. It is easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed. I tell all my residents that they're not going to learn this in one day, week, month, or year. Learning the OR is dynamic. I'm still learning. We need more younger nurses getting into the field. Good luck to you. Congrats to your graduation and welcome to nursing.