ctsurgeryscrubrn

Latest Activity

1. 

   What's the least saturated specialty in APRN?

   ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to soljhs's topic in Advanced

   @soljhs I have seen a pickup in significant pickup in demand for perioperative APRNs with an RNFA / First Assist Certification and Experience.
2. 

   Facing my second major cardiac surgery in 3-years :(

   ctsurgeryscrubrn posted a topic in Operating Room

   Background: I wrote an article a little over a year ago about what 'Being on the table taught me about treating on the table'. I was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome as a child and required an AVR in September-2016. I am a scrub nurse on our high-risk ...
3. 

   OR nurse pursing NP

   ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to scrubulator's topic in Operating Room

   @ArmyRN79 Couldn't agree more! Do you scrub or circulate?
4. 

   Sequential Concurrent Surgical Fields - Trauma

   ctsurgeryscrubrn posted a topic in Operating Room

   Has anybody been in a trauma case where the patient had two significant injuries that required establishing two separate surgical fields (sequentially)? I was called in at 2AM for an adolescent MVA - she was evaluated in trauma and scans indicated th...
5. 

   OR nurse pursing NP

   ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to scrubulator's topic in Operating Room

   @scrubulator Hi there - I got my FNP two years ago and it did take a bit of 'refresher studying' to re-acquaint myself with bedside nursing. I've only been in OR Nursing (specifically CT & Trauma) since I obtained my BSN. In some ways, I was able...
6. 

   What do you like about OR nursing?

   ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to Alex_RN's topic in Operating Room

   Hi Alex! I started nursing school in the Operating Room. I did a 6-month Perioperative Nursing residency to facilitate the transition and was selected to scrub on our high-risk open heart team (mainly re-do re-do's, high-risk patients, aortic patholo...
7. 

   Bedside / ICU Surgery (Decompressive Laparotomies)

   ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to ctsurgeryscrubrn's topic in Operating Room

   Thank you! The ex-lap we had to do bedside was on a 10 yo who had been in a bad MVA and had a major liver laceration that was done via emergent laparotomy two days before. It was a bloodbath going back in, especially in a non-operative environment.
8. 

   Bedside / ICU Surgery (Decompressive Laparotomies)

   ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to ctsurgeryscrubrn's topic in Operating Room

   Thank you, Rose. Always such great advice. Had an emergent laparotomy in the PICU this evening for ACS. Was a total blood bath - had to get wiped down several times by the circulator. Parents were right outside - was awful as they could hear us strug...
9. 

   Bedside / ICU Surgery (Decompressive Laparotomies)

   ctsurgeryscrubrn posted a topic in Operating Room

   Hello - In addition to my Cardiothoracic scrub position, I was nominated to join our new ‘ICU / PICU / SICU rapid response team’ that will be responsible for assisting in bedside rescue surgeries (mainly decompressive laparotomies for ACS and thoraco...
10. 

    Rejected from OR nurse residency

    ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to Reaz's topic in Operating Room

    @Reaz I went through Northwestern’s Perioperative Nurse Residency program and can certainly give you some perspective on my class and the types of nurses I went through the program with...if that helps.
11. 

    Most “exciting” surgical specialty

    ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to Polly Peptide's topic in Operating Room

    I scrub Cardiothoracic and also take call on our Level-1 Trauma service. They are both ‘exciting’, but I think Level-1 Trauma is probably where you get the most amount of adrenaline. Nothing gets my blood rushing like hearing over the intercom that w...
12. 

    RNFA

    ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to drizzy13's topic in Operating Room

    Hey there - I am a CRNFA and get to practice in that capacity in Cardiothoracic Surgery. It is definitely an institution-specific thing. I have heard of people going through an RNFA certificate program and never getting to function in that capacity. ...
13. 

    How do I get an OR job?

    ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to Theresa Coyle's topic in Operating Room

    Hi Theresa! Is there a particular specialty you are shooting for, or are you applying to a general float OR Nurse position? More than happy to add my perspective.
14. 

    Is it impossible to get in OR or what?

    ctsurgeryscrubrn replied to bryan_del's topic in Operating Room

    Yes - I would agree that the best way into the O.R. at a top institution is through a formal residency program offered by the hospital.
15. 

    Pre-Op Surgical Team Walk-Through's

    ctsurgeryscrubrn posted a topic in Operating Room

    I scrub on a high-risk CT team (mainly high-risk and complex aortic procedures with pathology (Marfan, etc.) and re-do cases). Recently, our team started doing 20 - 30 min pre-op walk-through's whereas the entire team will get together and the surgeo...