New Grad RN Help me Survive a Year

[nocturnallife, ASN, RN]

I wrote a post previously mentioning how I felt about being a new grad RN in the OR a few months ago. I just wanted to update everyone on my current feelings and thoughts. I like being a circulator but I don't agree with the orientation process at my job. Since I've been there two nurses quit, the facility is short - staffed and currently we are staffed with many travelers.

The nurses that quit left for various reasons. But I can relate to how they felt. So at my hospital the general team includes every service lol. Which is challenge to learn. The issue for me is that as the RNs we are not trained how to operate the equipment and have to rely on the scrub techs a lot. Which makes no sense to me as most of them have no license and I'm accountable one in the room.

I also find that the scrub techs tend to boss the RNs around. Some treat us like we have no idea what we are doing. Which is kinda true in a sense seeing that we are not trained for the OR in school. Personally, it annoys me when I'm being told to push a button or connect something when I don't even know what the machine is for lol. It's also kind of embarrassing to have someone constantly telling you what to do especially in front of the surgeon and anesthesia. I was told by a few scrub techs that some of them don't respect circulator nurses because we don't care to learn about the procedures or the equipment. But it's not easy to well versed on every procedure in detail when most the services are involved.

In a way I feel like everyone in the room knows how to do their job except for me! I'm constantly encountering new equipment or whatever because of how broad the general team is. Now I definitely wouldn't mind learning all the service's but I'm the type of person that likes to be very good at my job. I just don't see that happening while being on the general team. Yea, I'm going to learn a little bit about everything but I want to be proficienct at aleast one area. Does that make sense?

Also I feel like most the nurse's on the general team have to be comfortable with winging it or going with the flow. They may be assigned a case for the day that they have never done and pretty much have to rely on the scrub tech for instructions on the prep or positioning.

Being that my hospital is very short staffed we have to be able to circulate the popular general cases. However, I want to switch to the cardiovascular team because I would prefer to be really good at a few select surgeries. I'm not sure I'll be able to be independent even with 6 months of orientation on the general team. Right now, I'm currently in my third month. I don't want to quit because I like my job so I'm feeling like I'm in limbo here.

How do I bring this up to my boss or clinical educator about wanting to switch teams?

Do you think I'm over thinking the whole situation? Is it ok to rely so heavily on the scrub tech?

Thanks for reading my post and the advice :)

[Argo]

Make a list of all the equipment you see. There is a wealth of knowledge that you are using right now. Use the internet and search it online. Find videos about it or online Manuals. I have been in OR for 20 years total, I still look things up.

Ask for assignments the day before, if you don't know it then search and watch one on YouTube.