Critical Care Nurse seeking OR

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Hi all!!

I currently am a critical care nurse and am seeking to transition to the operating room for personal fulfillment and professional growth. I just have a few questions for my fellow OR nurses to help my career seeking journey! I will be posting my cover letter and am seeking for someone to critique it? Ill be posting that after I provide a little background on my experience and why I want the OR.

MY EXPERIENCE:

~2 years at a level I trauma teaching hospital in the Medical ICU. This hospital followed the all-rn model which provided me with EXCEPTIONAL time management skills AKA I got my butt kicked. The hospital did not have a tube system, did not have CNA's did not have clerks. Meaning we all were running around helping each other like chickens with out heads the entire 12 hours. Definitely made me an awesome team player.

I then did travel nursing for roughly 20 months. I took 3 assignments.

1st assignment- small community hospital in Washington tele/ICU integrated so i would have ICU patients sometimes or tele patients sometimes. Complete opposite of my last job AMAZING SUPPORT. nurses would come in an relieve us for hour lunch breaks. free charge ALWAYS, resource nurse ALWAYS, CRITICAL CARE TRANSPORT -- WHAAAT. seriously I was there for 8 months and NEVER went to MRI or CT scan or brought my patient ANYWHERE.

-2nd assignment - LARGE LARGE LARGE teaching hospital level 1 trauma. (1,600 bed hospital) - I was in the critical care float pool, I floated to all 15 critical care unites ( 7 ICU and 8 step down). Learned a lot, definitely had to work on my people skills, this was in new england where people were not friends and it was permanent nights. stayed here for 4 months.

-3rd assignment level 1 trauma teaching hospital large. in the neurosurgical icu - developed strong neuro assessment skills. enhanced my knowledge of neurological diseases. semi support/semi undertstaffed. not supported as well as my first travel assignment but not as bad as my first nursing job stayed there for 8 months.

I am longing a permanent staff job. I currently work per diem in the critical care float pool at my current job which is part of the health system of where I want to land a job in the OR. The health system i am applying for the OR position is VERY VERY VERY competitive. you pretty much need to know someone to even be considered for an interview. I have been working full time hours even though i am considered per diem. My manager is aware that I am seeking to transition in the OR and i do not want to take a permanent staff position because of my desire to go into the OR.

I spoke with recruiters for the healthcare system over the summer and they informed me that a job for the program to get into the OR will be posted in september. I wrote a cover letter to be prepared for when i do see the job get posted. And am seeking advice on it. here is my cover letter: (BTW i do know the recruiters name and will most likely email her my cover letter and resume when it is posted)

Dear _,

I am excited to see that there is an opportunity to transition from Critical Care to Operating Room through the Perioperative Program at BLANK. Since we last spoke, I sought out the opportunity and shadowed at BLANK. Shadowing confirmed that I would be a perfect fit for the Operating Room at BLANK.

My previous experience has prepared me to succeed as a part of Operating Room team. Currently, I have nearly 4 years of critical care experience. The Medical ICU at BLANK is where I established a foundation of essential nursing skills such as:

  • -Excellent time management as a result of providing care via the all-RN model.
  • -Proficient leadership developed through charge nurse and preceptor role.
  • -Exceptional team player provoked by the need to work together to yield successful patient outcomes.


Additionally, I have worked as a travel nurse for greater than 18 months. Travel nursing has allowed me to enhance my skills that would maintain success in the Operating Room. These skills consisted of:

  • -Adaptable and flexible as shown by success with frequently changing environments, co-workers, patient populations, policies and procedures.
  • - Enhanced communication skills by exposure to a variety of cultures and personalities.

I bring to the table solid a foundation in nursing shown by my experience as well as a strong desire to be a long-term assist in the Operating Room at BLANK. If you have any questions regarding my work ethic and character please feel free to reach out to my current manager Mrs. BLANK by phone at 123-456-7890 or E-mail at [email protected]. I thank you so much for time and I look forward to meeting with you in the future!

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REASONS WHY I WANNA BE AN OR NURSE

- getting burnt out from the bedside, families, baths, etc.

- better shift hours

- OT/on call opportunity for more money

- very instant gratification, i would love the idea of a patient coming in with a problem, assisting with the problem and the patient leaving with the problem correct.

- adrenaline junkie - hoping to possibly get into emergent surgery specialty that deals with traumas.

- LOVES fast pace environment

- eventually and im talking maybe 7 years from now when i have children and am married i would love to get into a same day surgery center (for the cushiness) and work part time, the schedule would be great with school aged children and from what i have learned its a pretty stress free environment.

I am shadowing in the OR but that is not until 2 weeks. I am assuming that I will love it and wrote my cover letter with the thought that i will love it. I did enjoy it the few hours i spent in the OR during nursing school.

I WOULD LOVE ANY ADVICE.

TIA XOXOX

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Overall, I think your experience sounds impressive. I wouldn't be surprised if someone from the CVOR didn't want to snap you up. I am a bit concerned that you're interested in the "good hours." OR nurses are frequently staffed at 40 hours per week plus call, so you may frequently be at work four, five, or six days per week. If you work Trauma or CV, you may end up taking a lot of said call. It's good that you're used to a grueling pace, but if you're looking for a break, this probably isn't it. When you shadow, ask intelligent questions and demonstrate an interest in the nursing part of the job. Good luck!

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