New grad RN wants to be Scrub nurse?

[LovedRN, BSN, RN]

I am a new grad RN (ADN) and want to be a scrub nurse.

There is no opening at all for RN new grad to be accepted into the hospital (any floor) therefore can't be train to be a scrub nurse. I am thinking taking surgical tech certification course. What do you think? Will it make me ready to be a scrub nurse?

Or there is other way to become a scrub nurse.

I understand that they need you to have years of experience in acute care but I haven't get hire anywhere. People would tell me that this is the time to go for BSN. Well, the U that I am looking at won't start until 6 mths from now. So I am thinking of surg tech that will start in a month.

My may-be-in-the-future goal is also to become a first assistance. I did some research but still confuse. How to become one?

Thank You.

[dianah, ASN]

Moved to OR Nursing forum.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

If you're in the US and looking to exclusively scrub, RN may not be the way to go at all. Most hospitals utilize only STs to scrub because they are cheaper, and nurses only circulate. My orientation included only a week of scrubbing, and it was mostly observation. The only nurses who scrub at my hospital either have scrub experience from elsewhere or the days before STs were so widely utilized, were STs, or are on the heart team.

Keep an eye out for hospitals to offer a perioperative internship. My guess would be that these would most likely be offered in May/December when graduation happens. Getting your foot in the door to OR nursing may not be easy. Most OR nurses don't leave the OR because they like it so much. It may be easier to get a job on another floor and then apply for a transfer if an internship spot opens up. You may need to look at the possibility of a longer commute or relocation if OR nursing is the only job you want.

For information about becoming a registered nurse first assistant (RNFA), go to http://www.cc-institute.org This is the group responsible for the exam and certification, and they have plenty of resources.

[LovedRN, BSN, RN]

Thank you for replying my post. I live in Los Angeles, CA. The reason why I want to take surg tech certification because

1) Increase my chance to get into OR position. (I hope)

2) Better cir nurse (if I got that job)

3) To be RNFS, you need experience in scrubing and cir.

Since it's nearly Dec, I will keep an eye on periOR intership. Thank You again.

[chloebonnie]

look into a new grad training program that teaches you to scrub and circulate!

theres one at Harborview medical center in seattle

[qrkid]

delete.

Just realized this was from 6 years ago

[RobtheORNurse]

You may need to relocate. Many hospitals do not allow RNs to scrub, only techs. In the midwest this is not necessarily the case. I worked for 20 years in the OR and scrubbed as often as I wanted to.

[Aik0]

DO NOT TAKE the surg tech certification. It would be a step down for you and not necessary. I live in the east coast and a lot of the hospitals here train nurses to scrub. A lot of trauma centers. they also take new grads. LMK if you want some names. I know a hospital in VA that I just got an email seeking nurses without OR experience to train in their program (usually it's a year to learn) -- - program also seeking new grads.

I was going to take the surg tech certification too just cuz I love scrubbing..wish I could do it all the time!!! A surgical tech asked me "why?!?!" haha.... so yeh..don't do it... Go get trained in an operating room. Big hospitals usually need nurses to scrub and circulate and will train because they need staff.

[OUxPhys, BSN, RN]

My hospital uses RNs to scrub and circulate.