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Discussion

Getting into the OR

Does anyone have any advice on how to get into the OR without experience? Would it help at all as an RN to get my surgical tech certification?

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    • Admin

    I would keep an eye out around the time that nursing schools graduate. Because the OR is such a different environment than anything students are exposed to in school, the orientation (new grad or experienced nurse changing specialties) is quite long- 6-9 months, in fact. Because of the length of orientation, some facilities may only hire 1-2 times per year.

    I honestly don't think going to school to be an ST is really going to help- it's going to cost you money, and depending on the facility, RNs may not be heavily utilized in the scrub role.

    Join AORN and go to meetings- it will give you a chance to network and get your name out there.

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    • Author

    Thanks so much for your advice, I truly appreciate it!

    Lisa

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    Can you move to the Midwest if opportunities are there? I have no clue how much you are willing to work in the OR or if you are flexible though.

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    • Author

    Thank you for the suggestion. Wish I could but I can't go that far!

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    Hey!

    I just got accepted into an OR residency! Before that, I looked at a billion OR job postings, and I didn't see one that preferred to see scrub tech experience from a nurse that didn't have OR experience. That's not to say it won't help, because during the two OR interviews I had, they both wanted to know if I had any at all experience in the OR, but I feel they wanted to know more if I knew what the OR was like, not if I had any scrubbing exp. Too many people on here tell you what to do, so I say do what you like, but if you're ever wondering what OR positions want from you, I say go on Indeed.com and look at the job postings! They usually straight up tell you.

    Have a good day!

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