Incresing my chances of getting into the OR

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Specializes in M/S Short Stay/TCU.

Hello Everyone:nurse:,

I am a new graduated nurse with a RN-BSN who wants to become a OR Nurse. As you know, jobs are not plenty for some new grads entering the field of nursing. Anyway, I was granted a position at A LTC facility outside of Philadelphia and I will start this Monday.:) Trust me, I am soooo incredibly grateful for this opportunity to get started on my nursing career. The position is night shift part time weekends with the additional chances of picking up xtra shifts during the week. Additional perks of the position is that they will IV cert me which I am excited about. Also, I was glad that the the DON stated that if I find a fulltime job elsewhere that they would be glad to rearrange my schedule to PRN if need be... This idea coming from the DON was huge because I never thought she would say this to me. I appreciated this chance because normally they DONT HIRE NEW RN GRADS...

The reason for this post is that I want to ask my fellow OR Nurses questions related to OR Nursing. OR Nursing is my goal and I am very serious about entering this rewarding field because I believe that OR Nurses really make a HUGE difference in their patients lives in & out of the OR. I want to become apart of that winning team effort in patient care.

I want to enter a Perioperative Nurse Intern/Residency Program and I want to ask you'll how could I increase my chances of getting pick for this position as a new grad RN -BSN? Which certifications do you recommend that I take now to help me increase my chances. I was told by a friend that various OR intern positions would soon be opening up in my area ( which I will apply) I want to increase my chances of getting into a program sooo bad.

I appreciate any advice & guidance that you can give me.....;)

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Are you working at the LTC as an RN? If so, many residency programs require that you have not worked as an RN after graduation prior to applying to the program. At that point, you aren't considered a new grad any longer in order to qualify to apply to the residency. You may want to check with the residency programs at your local area hospitals to see what their qualifications are and whether you will be able to apply.

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Specializes in M/S Short Stay/TCU.
Are you working at the LTC as an RN? If so, many residency programs require that you have not worked as an RN after graduation prior to applying to the program. At that point, you aren't considered a new grad any longer in order to qualify to apply to the residency. You may want to check with the residency programs at your local area hospitals to see what their qualifications are and whether you will be able to apply.

Thank you for letting me know... I just started today at the LTC for orientation as a RN. So are you saying that if a position comes up as a Perioperative Nurse Intern or Residency Program I wouldn't qualify for it? I will definitely check it out diff facilities regarding this? Oh wow Thank you for the info though... Am I messing up my chances of getting into a OR program...:eek:

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It just depends on the program. You will need to check out their criteria and who they allow to apply to their residency programs. In my experience, most, if not all, of the residency programs have requirements that you have not worked as an RN and some specify that you have to be within 6 months of graduation. Don't rush out and quit your job! Check into the programs in your local area. Usually there is someone who is in charge of the residency programs and I would suggest contacting them to see what they say about your situation.

Even if your current job limits your ability to get into a residency/intern program, that doesn't mean that you will never have a shot at getting into the OR. Get some experience at the LTC, then move into an RN position at a hospital and start working on getting a transfer into the OR. Or you may even be able to find a direct hire into the OR, it just depends on the facility. Obviously, the residency program is the best way to get into the OR, but it's not the only way. Good luck to you.

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Specializes in M/S Short Stay/TCU.
It just depends on the program. You will need to check out their criteria and who they allow to apply to their residency programs. In my experience, most, if not all, of the residency programs have requirements that you have not worked as an RN and some specify that you have to be within 6 months of graduation. Don't rush out and quit your job! Check into the programs in your local area. Usually there is someone who is in charge of the residency programs and I would suggest contacting them to see what they say about your situation.

Even if your current job limits your ability to get into a residency/intern program, that doesn't mean that you will never have a shot at getting into the OR. Get some experience at the LTC, then move into an RN position at a hospital and start working on getting a transfer into the OR. Or you may even be able to find a direct hire into the OR, it just depends on the facility. Obviously, the residency program is the best way to get into the OR, but it's not the only way. Good luck to you.

Thank you sooooooooooooo much for the info.... I do appreciate it very much.... I will look into it and make some calls...:D

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