I am 47 and have worked in business for 25 years. For the past 12 years I've lived exactly one mile from a major teaching hospital. There is an outstanding medical college, a great nursing college and a top-ranked PA program located around this hospital. I've gotten to know a lot of medical professionals, including PAs, nurses, surgeons, and anesthesiologists. I've wanted to make a change from my business career and am interested in finding out more about working in an OR. I'll be asking the people I know questions, of course, and have good shadowing opportunities.
In your opinion, would my best option to eventually work in surgery be to pursue a nursing program or physician assistant program?
Btw, I feel 30, live clean, exercise, treat people right, and don't do recreation well. So my expectation is that I would enjoy working far into my 70s.
Please accept my gratitude for your thoughtful reply !!
My two cents. I have worked at a stand alone surgical facility. There, we didn't use scrub techs, for the most part. Mostly our RN's both circulated and scrubbed. (and this isn't in the distant past, BTW, I've only been gone one week) A couple of the 'bigger' surgeons used RNFA's, I don't think any of them are PA's, and most of the surgeons just used our staff. A stand alone surgical center is a fun way to go, there aren't nights and weekends, and you get to be more involved, getting to participate in a lot of different types of surgeries.
The variety of opportunities out there for RN's is myriad. Not quite as much so for a PA, but that's again, must my humble opinion. Plus...I haven't had my coffee yet this morning so this may not even be coherent!!! :icon_roll
In some states, if the 1st. assist is a PA, the surgeon can charge an additional 85% of his regular & customary for the PA's time. If the 1st. assist is an RN, he cannot charge for the RN's time at all....nada, zip, zero.
This makes the PA's time more valuable, as it is billable time. This has increased the job market & pay scale for PA's in those states. As PA's flock to those states, other states demand for PA's increase due to their loss of PA's.....supply & demand, and the pay just keeps on climbing.
My hubby is a PA, his pay increased by $1,250.00/month last year alone.
It was a hard 2 years of schooling, but has been well worth the investment.
Halinja, BSN, RN
453 Posts
My two cents. I have worked at a stand alone surgical facility. There, we didn't use scrub techs, for the most part. Mostly our RN's both circulated and scrubbed. (and this isn't in the distant past, BTW, I've only been gone one week) A couple of the 'bigger' surgeons used RNFA's, I don't think any of them are PA's, and most of the surgeons just used our staff. A stand alone surgical center is a fun way to go, there aren't nights and weekends, and you get to be more involved, getting to participate in a lot of different types of surgeries.
The variety of opportunities out there for RN's is myriad. Not quite as much so for a PA, but that's again, must my humble opinion. Plus...I haven't had my coffee yet this morning so this may not even be coherent!!! :icon_roll