Interested in OR Nursing - Pre-nursing Student has a few questions!

GetBehindtheBarn, BSN · Nov 6, 2013

Good luck as you head toward Nursing School!

It was recommended to me to participate in a Nurse Residency Program for the OR. You may want to check with the hospitals in your area (or an area you want to live after graduation) and see what options are available to you.

The one near me, takes new grads, RNs who are not working in the OR, and/or RNs who have been out of the OR for the past 5 years. There is classroom, lab, and on-the-job experience w/ a preceptor.

Keep an open mind as you go through school. When I started, I thought I wanted one direction, but by the time I finished, I realized that my career could be anything I wanted to make it (which happened to be a totally opposite direction of where I started)... Good luck! :yes:

bluesky94 · Nov 8, 2013

Thank you for your response! I will definitely keep an open mind as I go through nursing school. I have also been interested in pediatrics for some time, but I've recently been thinking about the OR. It's so excited how many nursing specialties there are, I like to wonder which one I will end up doing. It will probably be the complete opposite of what I think I would like to do now!

Thanks again!

:wideyed:

Editorial Team / Admin · Nov 9, 2013

Agree with PP who said look for hospitals with nurse residency programs. These are generally offered twice a year, but may vary depending on the facility. Many nurses either hate the OR and can't wait to leave or love the OR and don't leave until retirement- there are several at my facility who have been working there longer than I've been alive. This can mean that positions don't become available very often. If you are unable to find an OR job after school (provided that is still where you want to work), at least get into a facility and begin networking- you can establish a reputation within the facility and get a head start on applying as many facilities will post positions as internal applicants only for a certain length of time.

You can also join AORN (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses), the professional association for OR nurses as a student. This will give you the opportunity to go to meetings and meet current nurses who are responsible for hiring. Sometimes it's not about what you know but who you know.

I highly recommend spending a day or two shadowing an OR nurse to get the feel for the real job. Many people don't realize just what is involved in the job of an OR nurse. I've seen many nurses apply who are "fascinated by surgery" who absolutely hated the reality of OR nursing. When shadowing, don't focus on the surgery; focus on what the nurse is doing.

And as the PP also said, keep an open mind. When I started nursing school, OR nursing wasn't even an idea of where I wanted to end up. I was convinced I wanted to work peds or L&D. I absolutely hated those rotations in school. However, I had the opportunity to do a practicum in PACU, and part of it was following patients from admission through discharge from the department. This is how I was introduced to and fell in love with OR nursing.

springchick1, ADN, RN · Nov 9, 2013

Maybe you could look into a job as an OR assistant. Ours clean the rooms between cases, help transport patients, run specimens, cultures and things like that. They also come in and help the nurse position the patient and hold legs, arms etc during prepping. A job like that would give you a good idea and also get your foot in the door.

bluesky94 · Nov 14, 2013

Thank you all for replying! How do you become an OR assistant? Thanks! :)

springchick1, ADN, RN · Nov 15, 2013

Thank you all for replying! How do you become an OR assistant? Thanks! :)

I would go to the hospital website and look for available jobs.