Just started in the OR... wondering if it's for me. Opinions?!

jive turkey · Aug 15, 2017

Hi all! So my backstory... I just graduated in May nclex first week of June and started work first week of July. I've never questioned actually being a nurse before but I am currently. I took a job as a circulating nurse in the OR. I thought I would like it because I find surgery so interesting but the further I get into orientation I really question my decision. I feel like all I am is a gopher and I'm going to lose all of my nursing skills. I rarely touch meds, my hospital is focused on turnover times so it's get in get out clean and get back to it. I don't feel like a RN at all... I'm not sure if this is coming from being a new grad or if my fears are legitament. My family doesn't understand because no one else is in the medical field and wanted some opinions. Anything would be appreciated

I'll give you a few things to consider. The OR is not a bad place to start. I'm a travel RN working med/surg-ortho. I wish I had OR experience, as it pays so much more for travel assignments. Second, there's this one year experience thing many employers look for that once you have it, broadens your choices of jobs and units to start on. Third, I believe many new RNs and society as a whole place too much emphasis on the hands on skills. People tend to believe that is the main thing you do. This may be true for some areas of nursing but I'd dare to say the majority of times it isn't. The heart of nursing is your clinical judgment, assessment, prioritization, time management, problem solving, leadership, and communication among other things. Last, I feel this whole "lose your skills" thing is a myth. You will not completely forget any skill you were shown in school. If you ever do decide to work on the floor, someone will precept you, demonstrate the skill, allow you to do it with supervision, then with time and practice you will become proficient and independent.

nursej22, MSN, RN · Aug 15, 2017

I think it is typical for new nurses to be very task oriented, or in your case, "a gopher." But as the circulating nurse you are the patient's advocate in the room. Being a nurse is more than administering meds or starting IVs. I think as you gain more experience, you will feel empowered to speak up if say, the patient is at risk for skin break down, or you note that they have a history that would contraindicate a treatment, or the patient does not want blood products.

Most managers are focused on through-put, whether you have 1 patient or 6. I would say stick with it, if you can. OR is usually a coveted position.

brownbook · Aug 15, 2017

You have bluntly put your finger on the down and dirty side of being an OR nurse. Depending on your facility you will seldom give medications, start an IV, place a NG tube, monitor telemetry, etc., you may get to put in foley's from time to time. Room turn over is king, move em in, move em out.

It is what a RN circulator does, acts as a gopher for the surgeon, anesthesiologists, and scrub tech so they can give good patient care.

Having OR, circulating experience is hard to come by so OR circulating RN's are a rare breed, there is usually a high demand for experienced OR nurses. You may want to stick it out to get a years worth of experience? But I can't foresee the future, whether or not you would easily transition into a bedside floor nursing job with "only" OR circulating experience after a year.

Perhaps when you get a reputation with your manager as an eager hard working nurse you could ask about working pre-op or PACU? Or maybe you could find a part time, per diem, position as a floor nurse somewhere?

marlee84 · Aug 17, 2017

Hey there!

I posted something very similar today. I graduated May 2016, and went straight to the OR. The last 8 months I've been at a surgery center. I am so tired of feeling like a gopher as well! It seems as though the CRNA is the "nurse" in the room. I have spent a few days in pre-op and it was a TON of paperwork, but more patient interaction. I'm actually PRN right now. Considering getting into something different on the side PRN to just see what else I might like. It is true that as your confidence grows, you will feel like you have more ground to speak up. I love the no call, no weekends, and no holidays. Stay in surgery for at least a year, just to show dedication. Try a surgery center too, I like it much better than the hospital. I'm feeling torn too, you're not alone! Good luck!

JadedCPN, BSN, RN · Aug 22, 2017

If you really think about it, you can't lose skills that you never really had in the first place. I don't mean that disrespectfully, I just mean that new grads in general may be taught certain skills and performed them over the course of a clinical, but that is a different beast than performing those skills on your own as a nurse. Skills can almost always be learned with practice, so whether you learn them as a brand new grad who gets to do all those fancy "skills," or as a nurse who has been in the OR the past 5 years and is now med surg - you can always learn. Don't let that aspect sway your decision.

Kareegasee · Aug 22, 2017

I always had this impression (where I got it, I can't say) that OR nurses held one of the most challenging positions. I pictured them standing at the right hand of the surgeon for hours on end, pouring out their blood, sweat and tears for their sedated patient, speaking out for them when they could not, saving countless lives during intraoperative codes, etc. The first time I actually got to scrub in for my Gift of Life patient's organ harvest surgery, I was completely disenchanted at the role of OR nurse. I'm not saying they don't have an important job. But it was very different from what I thought it was, and what I think many people believe it is. She did not leave her stool where she sat for many hours. She did not have to interact with the surgical team at all, and also had zero contact with the patient himself. She was there to chart, and chart only. Are there different types of OR nurses? Maybe our surgery was different than most since it was an organ harvest on an already deceased patient. In our case, the nurse anesthetist was much more involved with the patient. Other than implementing care plans (i.e. foam pads for pressure relief, warming methods to prevent hypothermia) I did not find that the OR nurse does much at all.