Could I survive in the OR?

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I have been an RN for 5 years, mainly in the plastic surgery ambulatory surgery setting as a circulator and PACU nurse. I love it. Little stress and it's easy to learn a small number of doctor's preferences and read their minds like they want you to. I just moved out of state so I've been job searching. I have 2 great offers.

One is with a plastic surgery ambulatory surgery center. M-F. No call. The cons: 1 hour drive and possible long hours. The other opportunity is with the hospital OR. I have zero experience in the hospital OR. But from my understanding, you have to have some pretty thick skin. I do not! I let things bother me and I get stressed out by thinking about it non-stop. I take things too personally and can't let things just roll off my shoulders. I think this is a great and rare opportunity that could open up many doors for me in the future (the main reason I'm considering it...plus the pay), but I'm just not confident that it's for me.

I guess I need you experienced OR nurses to tell me if a thin-skinned person can survive in the OR. Do you know any circulating OR nurses like me? Or are you one? Have you survived and how?

Thank you in advance for your time!

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Specializes in med-surg.

I'm an older nurse (don't know how old you are), but I'm 44. I've spent most of my nursing career in med-surg and pre-op nursing.

About six months ago I started an OR residency at a major hospital. Wow, it's been the most difficult thing I've ever done. I've wanted to quit twice but my husband wouldn't let me. Everyone tells me that it gets better...

It has gotten better. I will make it. I've done two ortho surgeries on my own..woo hoo!

You have to want IT to survive. And it's true, it's very hard, mostly due to factors not related to the actual job duties. The number one culprit is that there's a tight OR schedule. Those damn surgeries are boom, boom, boom. The OR nurse is responsible to turn the case over, set up, get the patient, and get that surgery going.

I'm a sensitive person too. I'm one of the few nurses who holds the patient's hand when he/she comes into the OR. Hey, laugh if you want cold nurse out there, but someone who cares is who I would want as an OR nurse.

I suggest shadowing for a few days to see if it's something you want to do.

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Thanks for your response.

I want it, but I'm just not confident I can do it. I don't think I handle stress very well. I'm the type of person that wants to hear something once and do it perfect the next time. In past jobs, I've been able to do that pretty well. I know that won't happen with this job and because of that, I think I will be really hard on myself...which will just cause added stress. Oh...and call. I'm not looking forward to that....but who is, I guess.

Maybe I'm talking myself out of taking this position and leaning toward the plastics position because that's what I'm comfortable doing and I'm trying to take the easy way out.

I know you guys don't care about all of this, but it's therapeutic to talk about...and my family doesn't understand. & I'm also hoping one of you will make the decision for me. Ha...kidding.

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@usnwbama which job did you end up taking?

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Specializes in med-surg.

Update on my situation. I ended up leaving the OR. Not for me. The OR is NOT for sensitive people. You have to be a fricken robot. Sorry. My opinion..

Now I'm back in a unit where compassion is a virtue and not something that costs money.

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gwendelyn,

Sorry to hear that, but I'm sure you'll be much happier.

RN4L,

I actually got a totally separate offer at an ambulatory surgery center and I took it.

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Sorry to hijack this thread, but I just have to ask - Is the OR really not for sensitive or introverted type people?

I know I can be very sensitive at times, but I've been trying to adopt a "**** it" type attitude to get over it. Not to mean I want to be irresponsible and rude, but to let things roll off my back that I can't change. I can get very nervous at times and get cry-baby like, which I HATE!!! Other times, I'm like stone face and no one knows what I feel. If anyone would take Myers-Briggs into account, would an INTJ, like me, be a good fit?

I think sometimes I want to be blunt, but societal norms and southern living tell me otherwise. Generally, I'm polite.

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Specializes in med-surg, OR.

I think if you stick it out you will be fine, its a large learning hurdle and may take a long time to feel "part of the team." The OR is a different place, it took me a good year to feel like I belonged, partially because it takes so long to develop confidence and competence in your skills, and to develop trusting relationships with your coworkers. But once you get there its a great place to work, especially when you have a good crew that works well together. Its good to be caring and sensitive with patient care, that's why we are here, for our patients. But you need to be able to stay emotionally stable and rational, when stress level run high, (and maybe others are not behaving so.) This can be a downside.

I consider myself an introvert, and the job suits me well. You need to learn to work with all types of personalities, we all bring different qualities to the team. But you need to know when to speak up, and do.

The OR is not for everyone, especially when you enjoy a lot of one on one interaction with patients and families and developing relationships with them, you may really miss this aspect. It's very tactile, with more tools and technology then other areas of nursing (I scrub & circulate). It reminds me sometimes of a highly advanced, medically driven, "mechanical shop" for people. You get to work with brilliant minds, you help make a difference for patients everyday, and you are always learning.

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