confused

[erirn]

I have been in the OR for 2 years now. I was trained by the hospital to circulate. I do not think my training program was sufficient.I do not feel it prepared me to do a great job. I am still struggling with many issues.I am really thinking about wanting to leave this profession, may be it is not for me. I do not like to be just getting by with the job I do. And it is always rush rush rush, not a good word for trying so hard.....no bathroom break....no lunch at times.......being oncall..... Do you think 2 years is enough to realize if you will like this type of nursing? Should I try it at another hospital? Do you think it is ok not to train nurses to scrub in, just to circulate? I am looking forward to your input !

[Sardonic Nurse]

I often feel the same way you do. I have been doing this job for 3.5 years now, I only circulate, sometimes I don't know all the instrumentation, and although I am in charge at night, my scrub techs don't always listen to me. They think they know everything and are so much better than nurses. I do like my job and I try hard at it but sometimes I wonder what I'm doing here. When I ask myself the question "what else would I be doing?" I can't answer it. I like what I do, I just feel so inadequate at times.

[linda2097]

I've worked in several different O.R.'s and I always got lunch breaks.

[paigec]

I have 5 years OR experience and have been at 2 hospitals. I was able to circulate and scrub at both hospitals. If I were not able to scrub I don't think that I would have done it for that long. I love scrubbing in. In my opinion scrubbing in makes you a good circulating nurse as well because you have knowledge of the instrumentation and other items that are used on the field. Two years is plenty of time to feel comfortable as a circulating nurse but if there are certain specialties that you are never placed in then you will not feel comfortable with them.

You don't sound happy doing what you are doing. If you don't love it them try something else. What about PACU?