Is working in the or really that stressful?

MamaCheese · Apr 10, 2011

There is a huge learning curve in the OR but once you have a reasonable level of comfort in there (usually takes about 1 year) then it's a great place to work. Most people who go to work in the OR never leave. That has to tell you something right there. I've been in the OR for 4 years now and I will never, ever go back to floor nursing. I get to focus on one patient at a time, the teamwork that goes on is amazing, I always get a lunch break, and most days get a morning and afternoon break as well. I :redbeathe my job 99% of the time.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 10, 2011

OP, to answer your question, yes. Working in the OR is fast paced and can be stressful. I felt that your question, "Are OR nurses overreacting when they make these kind of statements?" was a bit inflammatory. The question immediately puts those of us who are OR nurses on the defensive. I am not sure if that was your intention, but posing your question in that manner will not garner you much sound advice, but rather put some readers in a position to feel that they must defend how busy they are.

That being said, if you are curious about working in the OR, I would suggest shadowing for a day. You will get to see first hand what the flow of the OR is like and what a typical day entails. You can get descriptions of what nurses do in the OR, but experiencing it firsthand is always a better way to decide if you would like to pursue OR nursing. If you feel that OR nursing is what you want to do, expect about 3-6 months of training. It is not easy and can be very frustrating, as there is an overwhelming amount of things to learn and to be vigilant about. It takes about a year or two to be completely comfortable in the OR. It is very rewarding, though. I think the vast amount of knowledge you gain itself is worth every bit of frustration during training.

Good luck to you!

SandraCVRN · Apr 10, 2011

Yes, it is stressful but so is working on the floor. I have done both, won't go back unless there is REAL change. At times I miss the interaction with pts that are awake, LOL.

It's apples and oranges, both can be good or bad, depending on you and your co-workers. Good luck.....

Angeleah · Apr 11, 2011

Thank you Mamacheese and Sandra CVRN for your helpful comments. As for canesdukegirl....honestly did you really have to deflate my question in your first sentence?? Goodness me you don't even know me and you are already being judgemental! How was my comment inflammatory?? I was in no way being derrogatory or insulting anyone! I simply asked an innocent question. People in GENERAL can overact, therefore, I decided to pose the question on this site, with the intention of receiving non-judgemental advice, which clearly you did not give. You've turned me off asking for advice on this site again. If I do return, please do not reply to any of my questions anymore.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2011

Thank you Mamacheese and Sandra CVRN for your helpful comments. As for canesdukegirl....honestly did you really have to deflate my question in your first sentence?? Goodness me you don't even know me and you are already being judgemental! How was my comment inflammatory?? I was in no way being derrogatory or insulting anyone! I simply asked an innocent question. People in GENERAL can overact, therefore, I decided to pose the question on this site, with the intention of receiving non-judgemental advice, which clearly you did not give. You've turned me off asking for advice on this site again. If I do return, please do not reply to any of my questions anymore.

Angeleah, I did not intend on turning you off or angering you. I was simply offering a different view point to the question you posed. Please accept my apologies.

Argo · Apr 11, 2011

Thank you Mamacheese and Sandra CVRN for your helpful comments. As for canesdukegirl....honestly did you really have to deflate my question in your first sentence?? Goodness me you don't even know me and you are already being judgemental! How was my comment inflammatory?? I was in no way being derrogatory or insulting anyone! I simply asked an innocent question. People in GENERAL can overact, therefore, I decided to pose the question on this site, with the intention of receiving non-judgemental advice, which clearly you did not give. You've turned me off asking for advice on this site again. If I do return, please do not reply to any of my questions anymore.

From this respose I can tell you that you would have a very hard time making it in the OR world...

LAM2010, BSN · Apr 11, 2011

aannnyyy wayyyy.... :)

I guess one's attitude toward stress might give you different answers. I would say it's stressful (I've been in the O.R. for a year), especially the learning part. But I would never say it's a kind of stress that I don't want. :) I love my job. I mean, I can't even say my job is stressful, but some other people, I can see where they might say it is. For example, it is fast-paced - everyone wants it all done fast, fast turnovers, etc. And as the circulator you have to have your head wrapped around everything... something I still am learning to do, and it is stressful for me at the time. But afterwards I learn from it and keep telling myself I love my job :) (because of all the other things about my job - the people, the breaks, the weekends off, I work 3 12's in a row, my coworkers are crazy, etc....).

I had a good manager who warned me how stressful it is but that I would love it once I was comfortable. And that I'd either love it or hate it. And that if I loved it, I'd never want to leave it. And all those things have turned out to be true.

canesdukegirl, BSN, RN · Apr 11, 2011

aannnyyy wayyyy.... :)
I guess one's attitude toward stress might give you different answers. I would say it's stressful (I've been in the O.R. for a year), especially the learning part. But I would never say it's a kind of stress that I don't want. :) I love my job. I mean, I can't even say my job is stressful, but some other people, I can see where they might say it is. For example, it is fast-paced - everyone wants it all done fast, fast turnovers, etc. And as the circulator you have to have your head wrapped around everything... something I still am learning to do, and it is stressful for me at the time. But afterwards I learn from it and keep telling myself I love my job :) (because of all the other things about my job - the people, the breaks, the weekends off, I work 3 12's in a row, my coworkers are crazy, etc....).
I had a good manager who warned me how stressful it is but that I would love it once I was comfortable. And that I'd either love it or hate it. And that if I loved it, I'd never want to leave it. And all those things have turned out to be true.

LAM, how right you are! It is stressful, but if you are anything like me, you ENJOY the fast paced environment. It can be overwhelming at times, especially for someone new to the OR. But once you find that groove, you can't imagine doing anything other than OR nursing. I remember one day in particular about a year after I had been in the OR...everything just CLICKED; like the lightbulb finally came on. I don't know if I had just stopped berating myself for the things that I did not remember, or simply accepted that I would learn it in time...but it HAPPENED. I was so happy for that day!

OR nursing can be very rewarding. The things that you learn and can put your hands on is, in my opinion, second to none. To do open cardiac massage, to see what an actual bowel perforation LOOKS like, to see what cancer looks like on a liver, to see how adhesions hamper the normal functioning of the bowels...the learning experiences never end. My favorite part of OR nursing is being front and center when the attendings are teaching the residents. They quiz them, they ask pointed questions on what they would do next and why, and they always explain the physiology of the disease process while in surgery. It is FREE education for OR nurses!

I am so glad that you are enjoying the OR.

Keith T. S.T. · Apr 12, 2011

Your comments were helpful.

I worked in the O.R. for 18 yrs as a Scrub Tech, I loved my nurses and fellow techs.

A person must develop thick skin to work there, and love it.

God Bless you who work largely unrecognized and underappreciated in your fields .

sunflowergrl70 · Apr 12, 2011

I started my nursing career in 2003. I worked on a very busy med/surg floor. A year later I took a job in a very busy OR. That has been my career choice for the last 7 years. It's a very different nursing specialty, but it's a great place to work.

The orientation is 6 months and then it takes time after that to feel comfortable. It takes a lot of time, effort and big shoulders to learn the ropes. I tell new nurses that if you don't feel comfortable doing something in the OR, that is what you need to be doing.

The big focus on nursing in the OR is knowing sterile technique, being watchful that sterility hasn't been broken and troubleshooting equipment. Safety is very important in the OR. You are the patient advocate while that patient is under anesthesia.

It is fast paced and depending on the kinds of cases you are doing, you may be moving fast all day. The OR I work in has long cases. Once you get the patient prepped, draped and all the equipment hooked up, you have time to document. The longer cases can be boring once you get really efficient.

I've really learned to have good hearing. It takes practice being able to listen to what's going on at the field while doing three other things! It's stressful at first, but is fun once you find your groove.

*nydctx*RN11 · Apr 12, 2011

I think it takes a special kind of person to be in the OR... and you know if you belong there pretty quickly. Its an interesting arrangement of personalities and attitudes... but in the end you get in and get the job done. Not every workplace is a country club, and you'll find your niche.