New Grad looking to get into endoscopy and operating Room

[falcon53192]

I'm finding it difficult to find hospitals that would be willing to hire new graduate nurses into the OR, so I need some advice. Would becoming an endoscopy nurse instead help my chances of getting into the OR in the future and count as sufficient experience?

[roser13, ASN, RN]

Since you've not had any answers yet, I'll tell you what my guess is, based upon minimal experience with the OR. I do not think that Endoscopy experience would count toward OR experience. If you've ever observed in an OR and seen the trays and trays of instruments just for that one surgery, you can understand the intensity and length of orientation to the OR. Endoscopy procedures just utilize the scopes and not much else.

[RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN]

My hospital hires at least 10-12 new grads for the OR twice a year. They get put through Peri Op 101 and have a very extensive orientation. I'm surprised you can't find hospitals that hire new grads.

[brownbook]

I just answered almost the exact same question under Operating Room Nursing....becoming an OR nurse...endo experience.

Seems like deja vu all over again.

I have worked two different out patient surgery clinics which did both endoscopy and surgery patients. I know personally of three nurses who were able to transition into OR nursing from endo, so I assume there must be more out there?

It is comparing apples and oranges to say an endo nurse has the same duties as an OR nurse. These experienced endo nurses needed almost the same orientation as a new grad in OR.

However if you can work an endo clinic that also does surgery you have your foot in the door. The nurses I know had good evaluations as endo nurses and expressed their desire to be OR nurses to the OR nurse manager and eventually transitioned into OR.

[brownbook]

Actually one of the out patient "clinics" was part of an acute care hospital. The OR and PACU nurses were dealing with acute care hospitalized patients and trauma. Just to let you know it doesn't have to be a free standing ambulatory surgery clinic only.