Circulator Nurse?

[IlovenursingRN]

I have the opportunity to switch departments. Has anyone had any experience with being an RN Circulator.

The description is:

Manages the physical enviroment of the patient care unit; Monitors and directs utilization of supplies and other resources related to the care of the patient; plans and directs patient care utilizing the nursing process. Effectively communicates pertinent information. Participates in counting and time out procedure for each case.

Performs as a scrub technician on minor procedures or retractor holder on major procedure. Orientation is 6 months.

Any one have experience as a circulator? Did you like? Good Things Are? Bad Things Are?

Thanks so much!

[MamaCheese]

Most of the people who contribute in this forum scrub, circulate, or 1st assist in the OR. Just do a quick scan through the first few pages of threads and you should find lots of information about the pros and cons of working in the OR.

In a nutshell: the learning curve is huge and sometimes overwhelming but once you get it (which typically takes at least one year) you will love it and never leave :heartbeat

[RMH_RN_EMT]

Do you have a thick skin??? You need one!! OR nurses and techs can be brutal! Not to mention the surgeons. I can't tell you how many times I cried during my first few months. Everyday I was ready to quit, but I hung in there and in the end I enjoy my job most days. But, it is a learning curve. You don't learn any of this stuff in nursing school, like the equipment, instruments, how to work the microscope, which bed you need and does that bed need to be rearranged a certain way to get c-arm in there. You have a 6 month orientation, but even after 2 years (which I'm coming up on), you still don't know everything and/or where it's located in the core. I feel like I was kinda lucky in one aspect and that is I work a later shift, so when I get to work I give a few breaks in various rooms and then I pull cases for the next day. It sounds boring, but I get experience in pretty much all the rooms everyday and the fact that I pull instruments for the next day really has helped me to know where things are when I or someone else needs something quickly. Oh, and if you don't know something...ASK! I always had a go to person that I knew would help me.