ED to OR..might've make a mistake?

[Binz]

I recently switched specialties from ED to OR and I've only had one clinical day (doing a residency) but so far, it feels like the only reason an RN is in the room is because it's state mandated. For the most part, I grab things for the scrub tech and that's about it. Again, only one clinical day. Will my role will expand as I go along? I won't be training as a scrub nurse, only a circulator.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

@Binz come on over to the OR forum under the specialties tab- you may find the posts about what OR nurses do and tips for new OR nurses helpful. While it may seem that a lot of what you do is opening or running for supplies, there is so much more going on with the nursing care of surgical patients. This population is rather vulnerable- they are unable to speak up for themselves due to being anesthetized or sedated, they are at risk of skin breakdown because they are unable to protect themselves, surgical site infections (while not actually seen during the surgery) are a huge complication that nursing knowledge plays a part in decreasing, among many other things.

Please be aware that you are going to feel just like a brand new nurse again. We do not treat new grads and nurses with experience outside of the OR any differently when they join our team- they all get the exact same orientation because it’s the exact same learning curve. You’ve only had one clinical day and had the briefest glances into the world of OR nursing.