HELP! I need to interview an OR nurse who is an RN.

lily_lover · Apr 8, 2009

I have a paper due this Thursday and am required to interview a RN nurse in the OR. I do not know any OR nurses so I could really use some help on this paper please! Anything will help. I have a couple quick questions:

1.) Discuss this specific role in nursing. The role of the nurse in the OR is to ensure patient care related to skin prep, positioning to prevent skin breakdown, maintaining sterility, making sure sponge/sharp counts are correct, and the required documentation. We also make sure we have the equipment/instruments that are needed for the cases, and that everything is in working order. Being a little mechanically inclinded has really helped in this job!:) Sometimes I feel like a waitress, but its all about patient care. It feels like you fetch and carry quite a bit, but thats the job.

2.) What type of nursing care/interventions does this nurse provide? See above answer. We provide reassurance before surgery, offer warm blankets, and answer questions/calm anxieties. Positioning is important, we really want to prevent skin breakdown, esp. in long cases. We help the CRNA's with what they need, be it holding cricoid pressure, or getting blood or plasma ordered.

3.) What type of patients does this nurse take care of? Everyone who needs surgery:wink2: neonates to geriatric patients

4.) What challenges does this nurse deal with? surgeons, anesthesiologists, CRNA's, other nurses, scrubs...just kidding. Most challenges lie in just trying to get your routine down. There is always the odd surgeon or team member that is a challenge to deal with, the important thing to remember is the patient and the care you provide for them. Good documentation is something that can be hard to get down, especially with the limited space we have on the OR records. Call can be another challenge-it is no fun to come in for a rupturing AAA and be there for 4-5 hours with no break or no one to relieve you so you can run to the bathroom.

5.) Why did you select this nursing role? I personally think the OR is the best-kept secret in nursing. One patient at a time, they tend to be unconscious most of the time, you don't have to deal with the families (for the most part), the flexibility of the shifts, and the rapport you develop working with the same people day in and day out. The work is usually never dull, and I don't think the stress levels tend to be as high as that on other nursing floors. At this point in time, I don't think I would ever want to work on another floor. I love what I do, and I'm happy doing it! Hope this helps, if you have any more questions, let me know! You can also check out the OR nursing page on here-there's lots of good information to be found there as well.

hilaryschumacher · Apr 8, 2009

Thank you very much for your response, this will help me so much! The only thing that I need is your name if that's possible so I can reference this in my paper. Also how long you have been an RN and where you work if possible. Thank you very much for all your help.

hilaryschumacher · Apr 9, 2009

I just need your first and last name so I can quote you in my paper and allowing you to be my reference.