I really want to be a Scrub nurse

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Hello I’m still a nursing student but I really want to be a scrub nurse I’ve shadowed and had clinicals in the operating room but I feel like 

1. Scrub nursing jobs are hard to find and are being replaced by scrub techs. I hope this isn’t the case. how do I find scrub nurse jobs? 
2. sometimes I feel like I should do a year or two as a bed side nurse in the er or med surg to practice my nursing skills bc I feel like I’ll lose some nursing skills. So what do y’all think if I really want to do or should I go for it after a graduate. Or should I do something else first then OR 

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If you want OR then go for it as a new grad. You can’t be pigeonholed in the OR if it’s what you want to do. So I suggest you to get some shadowing experience too. As far as getting bedside skills first….you can but it won’t be pretty. Bedside is hard, so you really have to stick with it despite its hardship. 

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
10 hours ago, julua s said:

1. Scrub nursing jobs are hard to find and are being replaced by scrub techs. I hope this isn’t the case. how do I find scrub nurse jobs? 

Many facilities have different staffing patterns. Mine is very closely affiliated with a school that offers a ST program; therefore we tend to heavily staff with STs in the scrub role. We do not include scrubbing in the initial orientation for RNs, but once they have 18-24 months of circulating experience, they are offered the option to learn to scrub. Other facilities may train all RNs to scrub right away due to having a lesser number of STs in their staffing. 

 

10 hours ago, julua s said:

2. sometimes I feel like I should do a year or two as a bed side nurse in the er or med surg to practice my nursing skills bc I feel like I’ll lose some nursing skills. So what do y’all think if I really want to do or should I go for it after a graduate. Or should I do something else first then OR 

You may lose some skills, but you will gain others. The OR is a very specialized environment, as are many other areas of nursing where some skills learned in school aren’t heavily used but skills that weren’t taught must be learned. If you truly want to be in the OR, go for it. There is nothing wrong with going to the OR as a new grad. 

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Specializes in OR Circulator RN- CNOR.

Hello,

Bravo for knowing what you want and going for it! May I suggest looking here on the site, as at least one other has asked similar questions with lots of replies that may be helpful.

My 2 cents on your comments:

Scrubbing is a valuable skill, however many/most facilities will use the RN as a scrub as a last resort, as the ST is paid less. Having said that, when no ST is available, they highly value the rns that have the skill. I have seen this in major hospitals that I have worked at...smaller facilities may differ. At my facility they will not train us to scrub as STs as ST students are usually abundant.

I personally do not want to further my scrub education due to the long hours standing on a concrete floor or the "boredom" as many scrubs say they experience. It is physically challenging, especially if you have back/neck issues, weak bladder or just get itchy standing in the same place for up to 4hrs at a time. You may want to do a self check on these issues before comitting to learning to scrub. Of course you should learn if you are still interested tho! Again if you do, when they *do* need your skill, it means they are in a pinch.

I agree that you will lose and gain skills, but don't worry since any department you go into will give you a proper orientation. 

Both AORN and (soon) CCI offer OR periop certification. If you have the $ and time, you could consider taking one of the courses to show future emplyers you are serious. Only certain places will actually invest in new grads in the OR, but if you are already certified, you can hit the ground running when you graduate. Keep in mind it takes 6 months to train a new OR nurse and about 2 years to really get on board, so being an OR nurse/scrub is a serious comittment for both RN and employer. 

Oh, and AORN has student membership rates and great job counseling available. I was able to chat with experts before I graduated to really get the nitty gritty. (I pretty much went straight into the OR as a new grad myself fyi).

Good luck in your endeavors and I hope some of my rambling helps! ?

 

 

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
3 hours ago, Jadebsn said:

Both AORN and (soon) CCI offer OR periop certification.

Just a small correction: the CNOR (and other periop related certifications) is offered and maintained by CCI. AORN actually does not provide any certifications. AORN offers Periop101, which is an introductory course but does not end with certification. 

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Specializes in OR Circulator RN- CNOR.

Yes, to clarify I meant that AORN provides a "certificate of completion/passing" for a Peri-op 101 course. CCI soon will be offering a similar Peri-op 101 course and certification of completion/passing (in beta testing now). These courses would be for those who are new to the OR.

CCI is also the organization that cerifies experienced OR RN nurses with the CNOR credential. (Totally different, sorry for lack of clarification).

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
On 8/2/2021 at 10:06 PM, Jadebsn said:

CCI soon will be offering a similar Peri-op 101 course and certification of completion/passing

I’ve looked at that and it isn’t a course- just a foundational certification. It requires a certificate from a perioperative orientation program. Perhaps you’re thinking the reflective learning exercise is a course? It’s actually a personal development plan. 
 

www.cc-institute.org/cfpn/learn

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Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.
On 7/22/2021 at 7:59 PM, julua s said:

Hello I’m still a nursing student but I really want to be a scrub nurse I’ve shadowed and had clinicals in the operating room but I feel like 

1. Scrub nursing jobs are hard to find and are being replaced by scrub techs. I hope this isn’t the case. how do I find scrub nurse jobs? 
2. sometimes I feel like I should do a year or two as a bed side nurse in the er or med surg to practice my nursing skills bc I feel like I’ll lose some nursing skills. So what do y’all think if I really want to do or should I go for it after a graduate. Or should I do something else first then OR 

Hi there, 

You are not alone in wanting to become a scrub RN in the OR. I am finding more and more nurses and new nurse grads specifically choose OR nursing in order to be "at the table" in the Scrub Role.  If hospital ORs are to remain competitive to attract the best RN and new grad RN talent, they are going to have to make provisions for RNs to scrub at least 50% of their time as it is clear that this is what newer nurses are wanting and will only enter the PeriOperative nursing specialty if this is an option at a particular hospital. 

I would recommend that you check out larger teaching /academic hospitals when job hunting as most encourage if not require RNs to be able to scrub and circulate. At my hospital , scrubbing or willingness to be trained to scrub is a job /position requirement . I love scrubbing cases (in the neurosurgery service line presently) and usually scrub 2 of my 3 shifts a week with a circulating assignment between two scrub shifts. My hospital also awards Clinical ladder points to those RNs who scrub and other incentives as well . 

Best of luck in your future career. 26 years as a RN and still love my job.

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Specializes in Surgical First Assist - CVOR and L1 Trauma.
On 8/1/2021 at 7:44 PM, Rose_Queen said:

Just a small correction: the CNOR (and other periop related certifications) is offered and maintained by CCI. AORN actually does not provide any certifications. AORN offers Periop101, which is an introductory course but does not end with certification. 

CCI still does CNOR credentialing, but the CRNFA certification process has transitioned to NASC.

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Specializes in Surgical First Assist - CVOR and L1 Trauma.
On 7/23/2021 at 6:41 AM, Rose_Queen said:

Many facilities have different staffing patterns. Mine is very closely affiliated with a school that offers a ST program; therefore we tend to heavily staff with STs in the scrub role. We do not include scrubbing in the initial orientation for RNs, but once they have 18-24 months of circulating experience, they are offered the option to learn to scrub. Other facilities may train all RNs to scrub right away due to having a lesser number of STs in their staffing. 

 

You may lose some skills, but you will gain others. The OR is a very specialized environment, as are many other areas of nursing where some skills learned in school aren’t heavily used but skills that weren’t taught must be learned. If you truly want to be in the OR, go for it. There is nothing wrong with going to the OR as a new grad. 

I couldn't agree more here.  My advice would be to do what I was lucky enough to do - find an institution that offers a formal perioperative nurse residency.  We still have ours and it's interesting in that there are 4 tracks and perioperative is one of them. Further to that point, the residency balances scrubbing and circulating equally.  I only scrub now as an FA and I can't tell you how much value I find with an RN in the scrub role - they are often more strategic in how they prepare, anticipate better, and understand the end-game - you have to define the value.  Those who see it as 'just instrument passing' marginalize the value.  Those who see it as a key facilitation role to keep a high-stakes case moving like the symphony we all strive for, are viewed as enablers.  That's something that I always talk about when I precept new Periop Residents - define and own your role because that creates the perception.

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