I applied to an Periop internship.

CrazyScrubNurse, BSN, RN · Mar 3, 2007

Welcome to the OR!!!! OK before I say anything else just let me say "DON'T GIVE UP!!!" and "Never let the surgeon see you cry".

I'm sure they will ask you all of the standard stuff unless you are in one of those huge hospitals and they start asking you those questions like "Tell me about a problem you helped solve at work amongst you and your co-workers" I hate those!! Or "What do you think your best qualtiy is". They will ask you if you are bothered by taking call. If you really want to work OR say no you don't mind because it is a necessary evil (and a good way to make tons of money).

The OR is great but it is TONS of information to process. OK you're about to graduate so you can relate to this.....It's kinda like you having to have all of the basic knowledge of anatomy, physiology, & disease processes, and clinical manifestations to choose a NANDA. Well here you have to have all of the supplies, sutures, instruments, knowledge of surgeries, and doctor preferences to be efficient. You will have to learn a lot of information to be an OR nurse but if you just got out of school you will be great. But don't give up!!! You can learn it. I have seen so many give up at first because they were timid and didn't like the fast pace stress enviornment.

My advice to you is to get a small spiral bound notebook and TAKE NOTES! We have preference cards in every OR that tell you all the stuff you need for each surgery but it is always good to have every surgery written down and special little things that you can do to make it awesome without being asked. Then once you get used to it you won't need the notes you will just know when to get the lateral positioner for some ortho cases, or when to put extra sutures in your pockets, or what extra instruments you could possibly need during the case. We had a new nurse we were trying to train and it took her almost a year to be in a room totally by herself because she refused to write things down and was not assertive enough to break into the docs conversation about golf to ask if she should order more blood or not or to ask important questions. And my hospital is small compared to some of the bigger ones so we don't do a lot of trauma or CV. Just the main stuff. Remebering every surgery and surgeon preference is like trying to remember 50 recipies. But once you get it, it is a BLAST!!!!! I love it!!! Good luck and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It is not that bad and the good thing is that after all of the nurses start to accept and love you then you will all be like family. It always amazes me how close the nurses, docs, and scrubs are in the OR's. I guess they are like your second family since many times you spend more time confined with them than with your own family. Good luck girl!!!

2bAWEsomenurse4 · Mar 3, 2007

Thanks so much for the info you posted. :icon_hug: Especially the note taking. The hospital is huge! So I do worry about the stress. The internshipt is 6 months, or more if necessary. I would start in a simulation lab with didactic classroom teaching for 11 weeks. Since I would be starting right out of school I will be the learning mindset, so it should not be a problem. I do get a lot of flack from classmates that it will be boring. Not in my eyes and I was happy to hear you say you love it!:roll

I live 30 minutes or less from the hospital. How far are you from the hospital is a question I have been asked in several different interviews. Is that a big issue for the OR?

One more question, I am 47, look 37 and am in pretty good shape. Is age going to be a problem for me, in their eyes??:smackingf

boxermom66 · Mar 14, 2007

Hello. Just thought I would respond with what I know from my OR interview recently. I had my interview about a month ago and wasn't really nervous until I actually got into the room and found out it was being conducted by two people- a nurse manager and a clinical education coordinator. Then I remembered that it was all in God's hands and He would decide where I was going to go - OR or not.

I did get a bit flustered when I was asked about the nursing process - total brain freeze!!! I just really didn't think about my age - I'm 41 but most people think I'm 37 or thereabouts (not as good as 47 looking like 37, though!!). I also didn't think about my weight -I'm about 40-45# overweight. Evidently they didn't mind about either of those things because they offered me a job the next week! My mind set was focused on what I could bring to their facility as far as my attributes and my intense interest in surgery (and also trying to seem like I'm intellligent and well-spoken, and trying not to stutter or be too lost for words!).

Oh, and they did ask me how much time it took me to get to the hospital. Your travel time had to be within 30 mins of the hospital for when you are on call.

I am so excited and can't wait to start in June!!!Yeah!!!

Good luck!

2bAWEsomenurse4 · Mar 15, 2007

Thanks for the input. It helped. I did hear rumors about more than one person in the interview. Interviewing will start at the end of the month. My concern is my drive time, it is right at 30 minutes, 24 in good time. I have to find out but I heard that during call time if I can't make it in 30 min I have to spend the hours at the hospital I am not interested in doing that. if that is the case I will have to rethink. I have 4 kids and it would be too difficult to commit to that. I will be very upset if that is the case.

I do though have another opportunity at a smaller hospital. I already interviewed with the OR supervisor and am shadowing in a week. We had a recruitment day at my school today and the nurse recruiter from that hospital told me that the OR supervisor thinks I will be a great match. I was thrilled. I would rather have a proven structured 6 month internship since there is sooo much to know about the OR, but if the smaller hospital works and is a good fit, I will be happy.

Brain Freeze!!!! I can in a heart beat. And when you said nursing process...it took me a mpment. I will have to pray, take a deep breath and trust in my self.

Thanks and congratulations to you :balloons: