Final clinical -- go for skills (floor) or interest (OR)?

Nurses Career Support

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I know I've left this very late but...

I have to choose where to go for my last clinical placement by Monday (in two days). It's the only placement in my program where we have a say as to where we want to go. Those last twelve weeks as students is our transition time (Integrated Practice) to becoming RNs so we've been told to choose somewhere we're interested in, can make a good impression, and can meet our learning needs.

So far, I have never been to the OR on clinical. I have only been in with patients to observe a couple of procedures (a Permacath insertion and a dressing change under GA on an infant burn victim). I've always really looked forward to opportunities to go in and watch. My most recent visit a few weeks ago (for the Permacath) it was such a dull day on the ward floor but being in theatre -- and having the doctor explain the procedure to me step-by-step as he went -- was really energizing. I can feel a little woozy but I've managed not to faint so far :p

On the other hand, I wouldn't want to lose any necessary experience on the floor. I wouldn't want to make it really hard on myself once I graduate if I haven't developed the necessary load-management skills. Don't get me wrong, I can get excited about floor nursing too (leech therapy has been a real highlight of my practice :D), but those times are fewer and farther between than my experience with the OR so far.

I'd like to explore whether OR nursing is for me at some stage, I'm just not sure if before I graduate is the best time, whether it would be better to get more experience on a surgical floor at this point. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Trauma, Ortho, Neuro, Cardiac.

If they hire new grads and have a good program with orientation and it's what you're interested in then go for it. No need to torture yourself with the stresses of learning the floor only to turn around and leave and start all over again.

If you're not sure what you want to do, then going to the floor is a better idea.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

Tweety gave the exact response I was thinking as I read your post.

If you really think that you are going to be applying for an OR job soon and there are OR's in your area that accept nurses with little work experience ... then choose the OR as it may be your best chance for landing an OR job as a new grad.

However, if you are not fairly certain that you want to work in the OR soon, then it would be a be a shame to invest that much time in a "maybe someday" thought -- or just to satisfy your curiosity.

"Senior preceptorships" ... "capstone experiences" .... whatever you want to call provide great opportunities to solidify your learning and to begin to make that all-important transition from student to professional. It's also a great opportunity to strengthen your resume in a way that will help you get a job you want as a new grad and start your career in a positive way. Finally, it gives you an opportunity to show what a great employee you might be as a new grad. (Don't forget to get your preceptor to write a letter of recommendation for you as you finish up.) Use the opportunity to do just that.

Where do you want to work as a new grad? ... and ... How can this experience help you get that job and succeed in it? They should be your top considerations in making your decisions. Think about any long-term "maybes" later.

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If they hire new grads and have a good program with orientation and it's what you're interested in then go for it. No need to torture yourself with the stresses of learning the floor only to turn around and leave and start all over again.

If you're not sure what you want to do, then going to the floor is a better idea.

I agree with Tweety. Do what makes you happy!! If you decided you hate OR, you can always go try a floor after you graduate-they will orient you for I think for atleast 6 weeks. We've had nurses on orientation for 6 months(???why I don't know)

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Thank-you for your replies :) I wasn't 100% sure on whether OR hire new grads so I called a tutor who just came from OR nursing and she said that there are plenty of opportunities for jobs, lots of skills to learn in OT, and that if that's where I feel led to go for it. So I've put down OT as my first choice.

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