Few questions...

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New grad and I started the OR about two weeks ago. I love it and I think this is where I want to stay! I have read horror stories about new grads here and even experienced nurses but this team is really great. That even includes most of the doctors.

It is very hard as a new grad though. I think that they forget sometimes that I know very little. I even get nervous hanging antibiotics because I'm so used to always hanging them with a nurse. Then I feel stupid asking questions or them having to correct me. I do wonder how everyone stayed organized in the beginning? Any tips you found useful or notes you took. It's hard to know what's important sometimes or I don't think I'll need to write it down because I'll remember (which in reality I probably won't)

Also, now they are talking about having me learn to scrub. It just makes me nervous. I have spent the last 2 weeks watching the circulatory like a hawk. Now I need to completely shift my attention!?? Is this a good idea? There is a huge need for scrubs at the moment so I think that is why, or maybe it's even because I am catching on too slow? It also makes me nervous because I'm so close to the doctor. All of them are way better then any other surgeon I have ever come across, but I still wouldn't say I'd want to be handing them tools.

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Specializes in GENERAL.

You're gonna get yelled at. It's just a matter of time. The anticipation of this happening and your not wanting to be a bumbler is the source of your inner terror.

Right now you think the surgeons are cool but give them a little time and they'll turn on you. That's what they do. (Geico)

So if you can hang in there long enough to become competent and can manage to put up with the prima donna behavior, you may work out.

But they'll still yell out you cause some, although talented, are crimminally insane.

Have a nice day and Merry Christmas.

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Its normal to be nervous! If you like the environment and can see yourself being there, functioning independent, out of orientation (all in due time), then stick with it. It's hard, some days you'll feel like "what the heck did i get into" and then all of a sudden, one day, you'll leave work feeling like "hey i got this!" and it gets easier day by day. working in the OR is like learning an entire new language. you have to see/deal with situations more than once to understand them. pretty soon someone new will start after you're done with orientation and wont know what a bovie is and you'll be the one explaining it all.

As my first OR educator taught me, at the beginning, its not about being confident, its about being competent. the confidence comes later. also they are called instruments, not tools ;)

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Thanks birdie. Slowly learning :)

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