Has anyone switched from psych nursing to OR?

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I'm emotionally burnt out with mental health nursing. My friend is telling me I should switch to OR nursing. I'm assuming circulating RN would be what i would apply for. However I've been in mental health for 13 years since getting out of school. So my question is, do you think it's doable, can I learn everything as I go, since I've lost basically all medical knowledge or would it be too stressful? Also are you happier making the switch, if so why? Someone brought up that it might be too much change in my life since I just had a baby, but I'm really not looking forward to going back to mental health.

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Specializes in Psych & Community Public Health Nsg and Education.

wondering how you made out? Did you make the switch? If so , did you find it hard to land the OR job? I have been a nurse for 17 years and almost all of it has been psych, inpatient and outpatient community mental health. I have done lots of medical / psych. I have applied for over 50 positions in the OR at every hospital within a 45 minute ride . I have great references, graduated with high honors when I returned to school to complete RN t o BSN program and nothing, not even one interview. I have been trying for over 2 years. I just recently found a program at a local university which I would enroll and and take 2 periop nursing courses, over the course of one semester I would attend class one night a week for and have 6 hours of lab for 3 weeks , followed by 240 hours of a precepted clinical placement in a local operating room. The program sounds fantastic and most graduates are offered jobs with the hospital they do their clinical placement. The one downfall..... the price, 6 credits , over $1000 a credit and the program is not eligible for any financial aid. That is a big chuck of change. Looking for thoughts, advice etc. I am really excited about the program and will gladly break out the credit card if I can be certain I will be employable when I finish program

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Sorry I haven't replied until now. I've been so busy with baby. I chickened out d/the being afraid the stress of lea a new job would be stressful with having a new baby. My babies older now though and I feel I'm more relaxed in my role as a new mom, so I've applied for a DON position. Still looking at applying for a surgery position too. Wow I can't believe you applied for that many jobs and nothing, esp with the nursing shortage. A friend that works in surgery talked to a RN and she said surgery isn't really something u learn in nursing school, that I could learn on the job. Let me know how it turns out for you. Sorry for the sloppy writing, watching baby. :)

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Specializes in Surgery.

I actually did this back in 1993 when I graduated from Nursing school. I had been an LPN on psych for several years and wanted to go to the OR. I applied for the entry program and got accepted. The rest is history.

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How's the stress compared to psych?

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Specializes in Surgery.

Dinferential stress. All specialties have stress but I feel like the OR challenged me to learn more and become a better nurse.

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