New grad RN taking CST courses

Specialties Operating Room

Published

Hi everyone, I graduated with my BSN and just endorsed my license to CA to be with my husband who just got back from deployment. The operating room is my passion, but my nursing school did not offer an operating room preceptorship, so I have no OR experience. In addition, there are no perioperative residencies for new grads in the area. I am currently enrolled in a surgical technology program and loving it. In a few months I will be in clinicals where I'll be scrubbing in for 5 months, 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. I know this will be a great way to get my foot in the door and will also look great on my resume.

By the time I graduate, my husband will be on deployment again, and this works out perfectly because I plan to apply to OR nursing jobs in any state that is hiring to increase my chances of getting a job, and I will move wherever I need to.

My main question is, if I am still unable to get a job as an OR RN when I complete the program, will I be able to work as a CST if I have my RN license? Pay doesn't concern me, I just want to work in the specialty I truly enjoy. It wouldn't bother me to have to work my way up from CST to RN and having to wait until the opportunity presents itself.

Thanks everyone for any answers or advice :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×

You could not be hired as a CST if you have an RN license. Are you doing any nursing at all? How long is your CST program?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Could I be hired as a CST in a state where I am not licensed as an RN? I am not currently working as an RN. The CST program is 1 year long.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That's an interesting idea. Will you be doing any nursing at all over the next year? I went through an accelerated one year CST program myself and know how demanding they are, but I was able to work at the same time.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

That's what my ST instructors have told me, haha. I'm the first RN to enroll in the CST program, but they are very supportive and say the best OR nurses they worked with were ones that knew how to scrub. When I started nursing school, I didn't know what specialty I wanted to be in, and throughout clinicals, honestly, I wasn't in love with floor nursing. I just knew it wasn't for me. I don't think it would help me to work as an RN on the floor for 6 months just to quit when clinicals start, but I'll definitely keep an open mind and maybe apply for a pre-op or endoscopy position. In my spare time I do plan to attend AORN meetings.

It helps that I am really young and have no kids, so I have a lot of time to study and map out my career goals and how I'm going to get there.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment