Experienced RN moving to OR

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Hi.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on experienced nurses completing an official Perioperative Orientation Course to become OR nurses.  Most of my experience is in Case Management and insurance work, but frankly I'm tired of the game it's become.  I've always been interested in the OR but at this point haven't done patient care in many years.  Do you think a nurse with a mostly administrative background could be successful, if he/she completes one of these OR fellowships?  The training program I'm looking at is at a Level I and looks to be around a year long.

Thanks!

0 Votes
Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

I think it can be done. I was an ICU RN, then ER/Trauma RN then for 19yrs a Flight nurse on a helicopter and I decided that I wanted a complete change and so went to my hospitals OR ( Large academic hospital) . I completed the PeriOP 101 program and the year long training program to circulate and to scrub (neurosurgery is my service line) . I have been in the OR for almost 4 years now and have to say I love it. My colleagues are phenomenal and the surgeons I work with are fantastic. I will say that nothing really prepares one for the OR and the work involved so it did feel like I was a student nurse again LOL. Luckily my ICU and Flight nursing helped with the anesthetics side of things as well as being assertive and a strong patient advocate. I was able to get my CNOR a year ago and for me that was reassuring that I actually knew what I needed to , to call myself an OR nurse. Hopefully an OR manager will give you the opportunity (despite your lack of recent direct clinical nursing experience) . Go into it with an attitude of Humility and being an enthusiastic and eager "student nurse" and you will do fine.  Best of luck!

2 Votes
Specializes in OR.

You could absolutely be successful in the OR, regardless of background. Whether you're coming from the floor or a non-bedside role, OR nursing is going to be totally new and different. If you are doing an intro to Periop course like AORN's Periop 101, you will likely be orienting alongside new grads or seasoned nurses with no OR background. 

As a side note, you may want to consider ambulatory surgery. More and more surgeries are being done outpatient nowadays, so you would still potentially be able to see a wide range of service lines and variety of cases, but you could avoid having to do nights/weekends/holidays/call shifts. The transition from a non-patient care role might be a little easier. Just my two cents.

1 Votes
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
8 hours ago, kubelkabondy said:

As a side note, you may want to consider ambulatory surgery. More and more surgeries are being done outpatient nowadays, so you would still potentially be able to see a wide range of service lines and variety of cases, but you could avoid having to do nights/weekends/holidays/call shifts. The transition from a non-patient care role might be a little easier. Just my two cents.

In my experience, the orientation for an ambulatory setting is usually much shorter or even minimal, so it may be best to go for the hospital setting depending on employers in the area. 

3 Votes
Specializes in OR.
On 9/15/2022 at 11:58 PM, Rose_Queen said:

In my experience, the orientation for an ambulatory setting is usually much shorter or even minimal, so it may be best to go for the hospital setting depending on employers in the area. 

I hadn't thought of that, and I'm sure you are right. I started out as a new grad in ambulatory surgery and had six months of orientation, but I work in an ASC attached to a large hospital. I'm sure the training would be less extensive and more informal in a physician-owned facility.

1 Votes

OR is definitely a unique place, so the fact that you don't have recent bedside experience isn't a big deal. The fact they have a formal training program is a huge plus.

1 Votes

Hi 2ndchance, I'd love to hear more about how your OR orientation went for you. I am starting my OR fellowship on Feb 20th and I am very excited but also nervous about changing specialties from Progressive care. How are you liking OR nursing? How can I best learn about instruments? 

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I am enrolled in a perioperative course right now, I'm more and more of the understanding that this role doesn't entail much patient care, if any. If you are a scrub nurse, you're handing tools to the surgeon... if you're a circulating nurse, you ensure that the patient has signed all of the consents, you initiate the 'time-out' before surgery and go over things to make sure everybody is on the same page. Then you document the supplies that get used throughout the procedure and send any specimens to the lab. Aside from helping to transfer a patient onto the operating table, there is little to no patient contact as far as I can tell.

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Specializes in OR, Quality & Risk, Administration.

It can absolutely be done! The OR is like NO OTHER department so you wouldn't have tons of advantage even if you had recent clinical experience.  Just realize that before you go in and that it will be stressful for a while because you are going to feel completely lost and intimidated.  But once you get comfortable...the BEST department in the hospital in my opinion.  

0 Votes

You can definitely be successful if that area of work motivates you. Especially if the orientation is a year long ordeal. I had to do a year long orientation for a Peds OR and by the end of that year I felt so confident I wanted to scream at my preceptors to leave me alone by the end of it. And then I went to others where it was only 3 months long and that was just about right for an experienced OR RN to get the lay of the land down and get going. 
Some advice, learn who your resources are early on. Find the teammates that you can rely on for good information in a pinch for questions. I still have to do this when I sit in a case that I haven't done in a year's time. The basics will be there always, the specifics may need reviewing from time to time. 
I find that the OR work life has really good balance. Every OR I've been to I have met great people, really fun people. 
Guaranteed lunch breaks? Sign me up. 
Flexible Schedules. 
The OR has much to offer that some other areas simply don't. 
There is also another specialty called Endoscopy, which is kind of like OR, but it's all scopes. I did that for a couple years and really enjoyed it too. 
Good luck in your decision! 

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Hi all,  I am a BSN RN  I've been applying  for OR positions for about one year now. I am concerned as I keep applying and  an  interview is not offered only a rejection notices.  

I  have experience as LTAC, med surg, and ICU. My resume includes ACLS, BLS, travel, and a ton of volunteering. Any thoughts?  Please and thank you. 

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