Kinda dissappointed

[sameasalways, ASN, RN]

I was told by the secretary where I work that the Dr who recommended me to the OR is an **ss and that he yells at nurses down the hall and things like that. She told me that he is only nice to the skinny nurses. Now I am wondering if maybe he has this sort of reputation everywhere and that if I go to the OR everyone will be ready to tear in to me somehow because of him and his talking to the OR supervisor about getting me down there. I've been on the floor a year and honestly I just do my job and focused on learning all there was to learn. It is only now that I am getting comfortable and confidence and getting to know people on a deeper level. I looked at him as some sort of spiritual married person...I know I sound incredibly naive and idealistic. I don't know what to think anymore.. Just makes me nervous.

[Argo]

Is the Dr a surgeon or anesthesiologist? If not his word doesn't mean too much. To be honest we like to find people with desire and drive to learn and do well in our environment because a lot don't... maybe he has alternative motives but that's his problem and not yours. Use what doors you can to get where you want to be.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Unit secretaries tend to know everything that is going on...so she may be right, but I would take her impression with a grain of salt. Go ahead and pursue the OR if that is what you really want to do. There is no rush, no time constraints, are there? If you are just now getting comfortable working where you are, then stay for a bit longer. When you get to the point where you feel that you want to take on more learning, then consider going to the OR.

I seriously doubt that you will get treated badly by the staff in the OR simply because this doctor recommended you. More than likely, they won't have a clue unless you tell them. The nursing supervisor is not going to introduce you to the staff by saying, "Hi everyone! This is nurse Same, and she will be great because she was recommended by Dr. X!" See how ridiculous that sounds? Erase that doubt from your mind, and if you DO decide to go to the OR, do NOT carry that assumption with you. The staff will pick up on it and you will end up isolating yourself without ever meaning to.

I am a little concerned that this secretary said that he was only nice to skinny nurses. Is the secretary skinny? Overweight? Sometimes people's perspectives can be skewed based on their own insecurities and they construe other's actions and motivations as negative when realistically, they are not.

Go with your own gut instinct. Have YOU seen this doc be a total jerk to other nurses? Watch for a while and see if you observe any rude behaviors.

More than anything, do what YOU want to do based on YOUR wants, goals and desires. If this secretary had not mentioned anything, would you still have that excited anticipation of going to the OR?

[sameasalways, ASN, RN]

Hi guyz,

I appreciate your feedback on this it is helpful to me. The secretary is obese, not morbidly but yes she is obese. I get along well with the ancillary staff and I always have I don't care what someone's weight is, ect but yes she is. I know the secretary's hear everything...I am always filled in by them hahah.

The person who recommended me is a surgeon and we get his post-op's all the time along with the other patients/surgeons too, whether they be orthopeadic or bowels or emergency. Here is the deal, I am nervous about the challenges of the OR but I am intrigued by it. Mainly because I like to be hands on and I don't like passing meds all day and having patients ask me for ice/water. I don't mean that in a cold way but I know it sounds that way. I also get annoyed at feeling like so many shortcuts are taken on the floor and I constantly wonder if I should taking more shortcuts to help with time management or if I should continue doing things the way I do because I want to do as high quality work as I can. But I know management doesn't like us leaving late from the floor either. My supervisor categorized me as very detail oriented at my 3 month evaluation but I don't see myself that way...on the other hand like I said I try not to take shortcuts like I see being done constantly up there.

In regards to what I have seen regarding this surgeon, He has always been respectful to me but I am the type of person when I am focused on something I don't see other things ..so when I am busy with my patients I don't pay attention to the other things going on on the floor (like I said the secretaries fill me in hahah). So if doctor comes to the floor or a surgeon, unless he pertains to my specific patient then I do not pay attention to him..therefore, all I can say about thsi particularly surgeon is that when he comes up to the floor he expects someoen to round with him, and I notice that the charge nurse usually does this. I haven't seen this occur with the other surgeons. So I am not sure why this occurs. I can ask the secretaries...and find out though.

I did get a call on my pager the other day saying that he wanted me in a room with the chart and that he was rounding on the patients. I told the secretary I didn't know if I would be able to make it in there because I am dealing with patients who are in pain right now, but that if I could I would be in there. Well then the charge nurse came down the hall with him and went into the patients room. I had already gotten her nausea medication for her so I ended up being in the room at the same time to administer her nausea meds as when he rounded on her. I tried to work it so I would be present but like I told the secretary I wasnt' sure if I would be able to or not. The Dr. wanted to know what I could tell him about her and I had just picked her up. So at this point all i knew was that she was in to have her gallbladder removed and she had nausea. She had RLQ abdominal pain with palpation as well. It is the charge nurse who told him she was on plavix and a million cardiac meds..so the surgery would have to be put on hold. I had not seen her meds yet because she was a new admit and the night nurse and the ER nurse had not put her meds into the electronic MAR yet.

He reminds me of my stepdad and when I say that I mean someone who can be very civil and well-mannered but if he gets set off then he will turn into a Jekyll/Hyde type person. But from what I have heard this can be common with surgeons? On the other hand he was making rounds with a different charge nurse last week and I walked with them because I wanted to talk to the charge nurse about something. He made a comedic remark about constipation and I joked back and I was not trying to brown nose but it was funny, what can I say? Well I don't know if I contributed anything helpful but I look forward to your input! Thanks!

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I love the fact that he asks the charge nurse to round with him. This means that he values the input of the nurses and will take their opinions into consideration when rendering care. This is rare. I worked at a very large, very prominent hospital in the South when I first started nursing, and the docs that asked the nurses to come into the room during rounds were the ones that I respected the most. I love it!

All surgeons can be Jekyll/Hyde. I don't see it as much as I used to back in the day, but sure...if the stress level goes up and the surgeon is nervous, he can lash out sometimes. Just know that it isn't YOU, it's the situation at hand. You do have to have a thick skin to work in the OR. Don't take anything personally...and be proactive yet respectful. Be inquisitive. Surgeons LOVE it when the nurses ask questions.

It sounds like the secretary is projecting. Grain of salt girl, grain of salt.

I think you should go ahead with plans to go to the OR. From your accounts, you seem to be a good fit for the OR. You will learn SOOO much and you will love the hands-on nursing that you will do. Floor nursing is great, and you will have a lot to bring to the table when you get to the OR. I mentioned in an earlier post that when you feel that you are ready, to jump to the OR. You sound like you are at that point. I also said that there are NO shortcuts in the OR. Can't. Happen. You will love this part of the OR. You will also love the fact that there is just ONE patient at a time to care for.

I was nervous and intrigued also when I first considered OR nursing. In fact, I was downright terrified! That's exactly what prompted me to jump in. I wondered why it frightened me so much, and when I got to the OR and started to familiarize myself with it, I had to laugh at myself. I was so much in awe of what I was learning that I forgot to be scared! If you have a curious mind, you will fit in well.

Are you going to shadow for a day, or do you want to go directly there? Do you work in a university or a private (small) hospital? There are huge differences, and I will be able to help guide you because I have worked in both arenas.

Keep us posted! I am excited for you!

[sameasalways, ASN, RN]

Hi Canes girl, thanks I know my biggest fear is failure. My only concern is like I said I think I have a tendency to hyperfocus sometimes..and by that I mean that when I am doing something that needs done, an atomic bomb could go off and I wouldn't know it. I openly admit it. Also I have heard how much there is to learn down there/how different it is. This is why if they call me for an interview than I want to shadow and get a chance to really pay attention to what the nurse does. I think they are reviewing my application right now because I was unable to access my resume.

I am intrigued by the body and always have been . I am getting more and more excited. I love the way the body works. If things can be more hands on then I am all for it.

In regards to the type of facility I work at, it is a community hospital. Any MAJOR trauma cases are automtically sent to the large trauma centers around us.

I had considered the ER nursing but at this hospital I have been told by numerous people that it is DRAMA over there ..and I don't mean the patients. Apparantly even a male nurse transferred out because he got tired of dealing with the drama and back-stabbing. Fortunately I have not heard such horror stories about the OR here. I have heard they are very closely knit and "different" in the OR...but honestly everyone always has called me "different" so maybe that will be a good fit haha. I look forward to your input in regards to working at a community OR vs a large facility and I think I know which facility you may be referring to in the Carolinas. Thanks.

[RNOTODAY, BSN, RN]

i think that you are putting too much thought into this particular surgeon..... to be honest, be glad you got your foot in the door, thAT IS if you really want to go to the OR....

surgeons and anesthesiologists are the biggest a holes to work with as a general rule..and you will be with them for hours in a room all day, not just rounding for 30 minutes or whatever now..... and more than likely there are more like him than not in the OR... if this bothers you, you might want to think about going there... because honestly, besides learning to work in the OR--- interpersonal relationships are a BIG factor in deciding whether you stay or not--- the OR is different than anywhere else... it just is... and i have seen more people leave the OR because of the "interaction" stuff to deal with, in addition to the actual work... as far as the skinny comment? who cares? and get used to it.... the OR is a tight knit place, and people are free with the comments, just like that one....

bottom line-- if you wish to succeed , you will.... just dont over think what people say, because if you do you will never make it.... please dont think I am being ****** to you... i just want you to have a realistic view as possible of the OR environment.... its awesome--- but it comes with 'stuff" that you just dont deal with on the floor.....good luck!!!

[Guest717236]

Have never worked in the OR, but would have loved to.

As for fear of failure, the only failure is not to try what you are

interested in, which may turn out to be a specialty you may be passionate

about. You sound focused and ready to learn, so as you have been

given a chance, go in with your whole heart and give it a try.

In regard to the drama in health care (staff, not patients), just remain

professional and do your job continually expanding your education and

experience. Don't get caught up in the gossip mill , that is a factor in

many lines of work. You will soon see the surgeon who gave you the referral

behavior with your own eyes and you can judge for yourself.

Under stress, some professionals (MD,attorneys,etc) etc can lose it when

they feel a threat to their knowledge or decisions, or if things are

not going their way. Just filter out the temper tantrums, and keepworking. Often, they return from their out of body and mind state like

nothing happened................

Best wishes in your new OR experience, please keep us posted...

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

Sometimes surgeons act differently on the floors than they do in the OR. Many realize that it behooves them to treat the surgical team with respect, because we can make or break their cases getting done in a timely fashion. And even if someone is snippy with you, you are going to develop brass ba**s in the OR, give it back to them.For the most part, the OR is very team oriented.

I wouldn't worry too much what the secretary said..maybe she just doesn't like this surgeon. Maybe she doesn't like the fact that you want to move to another area.

It's your career..I wouldn't worry so much what others say. I love the OR, when you are in a room with a good team, it's the best. You actually find yourself having fun, and you will see and learn so much. Good luck!