From RN to Scrub Tech?

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Hello :)

Just want to introduce myself a bit, i've been a nurse for 5 yrs now, started working in nursing home for 6 months as my 1st job, then move to ASU (ambulatory surgery unit) in a hospital for 1 year, then moved to a different hospital as a staff in ASU (again) and stayed there for 2 years.

Now, i was fortunate enough to be hired in the OR in another hospital which is only 10mins drive from home..despite having no previous OR exp, (i think they badly need staff that time and are willing to train me) i've since been working there for 8 months now. They just got the peri-op program 3months after i started working there.

Let me tell you, it was tough...as someone with no OR exp before. Now i'm getting the hang of it, i just need more exposure and confidence in myself.

They didnt really train me to scrub different cases, maybe i scrub around 6 times in total since i started working there and it was only minor cases like hernia and lap chole's, explore laps etc.

i really want to become a better OR nurse...not just someone who can circulate. I want to be able to scrub in different areas like ORTHO, Neuro, and Vascular cases. I want to learn the instruments and how they use it in surgery so i can be a better circulator.

I was wondering if anyone here knows of any program i can take so i can learn to scrub cases? i want field exp...i believe this will greatly help me as a OR nurse.

Can a nurse go back to school and take scrub tech program? how long will it take? Can i work as a OR nurse in this hospital and work as a scrub tech in a different hospital at the same time?

Please give me some advice...i really appreciate it :) thank you for reading my long post lol.

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You don't need to go through a scrub tech course, you are already scrubbing....... You need more scrub time in more complex cases paired with an experienced surgical tech. Ask your manager or director if they can or will do that. It will likely come down to staffing and if they have hired to fill those empty spaces you mentioned earlier. Don't waste your time and money on anything besides maybe books that will help you learn those things you mentioned, e.g. instruments.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

If you are a nurse and scrubbing then you are a scrub nurse. As an RN you wont ever be considered a scrub tech. A surgical technologist(cerrified or not) is a scrub tech.... you can just say "scrub" when referring to either...

Previous poster was correct, you just need more scrub time with another experienced scrub.

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