New nurse in OR trying to find her place

lynswim · May 11, 2005

Hang in there - I don't think 2 weeks is really long enough to tell if the OR is for you. I remember when I started in the OR, 15+ years ago, I didn't even know how to use the electrical plugs!! They were these round things that had to be pushed in and turned.

I *used* to be fairly quiet but try to remember, just be a patient advocate.

My two cents - don't bail out yet!

Lyn

akor · May 23, 2005

So I've been in the OR exactly 2 weeks. I am training in the OSC for 2 weeks and then its off to where I will be working permanently- major OR. I was very excited to get a position in the OR but after being here such a short time I am really questioning my decision.
I originally worked on the floor and I was really burnt out so I thought that this would be a good change of pace. I am surprising myself that I am actually missing my old role. Maybe this was a bad pick for me. My preceptor is saying that I am too timid and that the people in Major are going to eat me alive.
I prepared myself for the fact that the doctors can be grouchy SOBs, but I didn't realize how many of the staff members have very strong personalities themselves. I am totally opposite. I am more laid back but I do like order so I thought that I would like the structure of the OR dynamic but I find it very hindering to my education. I feel like I can't even tie a gown properly.
I want this to work but at the same time I don't want to get 6 months down the line and now the dept has invested thousands of dollars for my education and I transfer to another unit. How much time should I give this before I know if this is new OR nurse jitters or a real wrong fit. Since I have only worked at this place for 1 month do you think that they would let me transfer or would I be required to work the 6 months like the policy says. Sorry this post is so long, I'm just sorting through so many emotions I don't know what to think. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am back in the o.r. after 12 years and I am i na foreign country ....sometimes I have to ask the scrub nurse to repeat what she wants....and when I get really good I will know what she wants....it's a mtter of patience and learning.....I have been working in the o.r. now for 8 months and I still feel like everyday is a learning experience.....I have been in cardio for a month and it is hard....it is hard working with different personalities all the time and sometimes that is a good point too to working in the o.r.. just remember that working in the o.r. is TEAM work and try to get along with your colleagues...everyone is bound to have bad days....one time after the operation the surgeon came up to me and hoped that I didn't take offense because he was pretty rude....he said that when he is operating he becomes a different person....the world is beautiful for it's diversity!!!! Good luck....don't give up yet....

nursescar · May 23, 2005

Listen I am in the same boat sort of.....I am orienting in the L&D OR and the folks from downstairs (the main OR) are doing my orientation............the nurses I will actually be working with tell me just to have in there... (that the people on days and they are right) are so into themselves! They are so mean and sarcastic.........I am like wow thank God I will never work with you!

Pam RN · May 24, 2005

I can remember when I started in the OR. I was a new grad and the OR was where I really, really wanted to be. The first three months were an exhausting, exciting, frustrating blur. If you really want the OR don't even think about leaving until you give it the first three months. Why do you think the orientation can be up to a year long? There is so much to learn and it's a whole different way of thinking stop!!...don't put your back to the sterile field! So, much to think about, but it becomes ingrained in you that you never forget it. I remember walking around the grocery store with my hands folded at my waist, then I knew it was sticking with me.

Find a mentor. You need someone who will shove you lovingly up to the sterile field when you're brand new to scrubbing and tell you to muscle your way in, set up your bovie and suction and get ready to hand the knife to the doctor. You need to get in the action whether it be tying the gown for the scrub nurse/tech or doc, pick up anything that's anywhere it doesn't need to be, including the floor, plug in stuff, count stuff, get involved and don't be afraid. You went to surgery for a reason.....you love it.

I wish I could be there to hold your hand and muscle you through the crowd and help you feel more accomplished. Just knowing which is the Vicryl and which is the Nylon is a big feat. Watch, watch, watch. Listen, listen, listen. Ask, ask, ask. Do you have a book? Get either Alexanders "Care of the Patient in Surgery" (excellent!) or Operating Room TEchnique (simplified, but helpful for the beginner) from your educator or college bookstore. I have seen them occasionally at Barnes and Noble or Borders.

I'm so excited for you!!!! Don't be afraid. Find the people who really like to teach and ask them if they mind if you latch on to them as a buddy for a while. Ask the educator to have discussions about how you're feeling and how you're doing. Once people get to know you you'll feel part of the team, but it takes more than 2 weeks. Don't quit.

shodobe · May 25, 2005

So many people come to this site because they have reservations about whether it was a good idea or not to work in the OR. Give yourself a chance and let everyone know you are able and willing to do the job. Good advice above. OR nursing is so different from anything you will do elsewhere in the hospital. It takes time and patience, a few months is never enough. Years of continuous learning lie ahead of you, but don't let this scare you off. Finding a good mentor with patience is a must. Soak up the atmosphere and kepp your eyes open. As seasoned OR nurses we tend to see the ones who have a passion for the job and also feel the reluctance from the others. I have been doing this for 28 years and I tend to have a knack whether someone is suited or just fooling themselves. Good luck, hang in there and take no prisoners! Mike

InHisService · May 30, 2005

So I've been in the OR exactly 2 weeks. I am training in the OSC for 2 weeks and then its off to where I will be working permanently- major OR. I was very excited to get a position in the OR but after being here such a short time I am really questioning my decision.
I originally worked on the floor and I was really burnt out so I thought that this would be a good change of pace. I am surprising myself that I am actually missing my old role. Maybe this was a bad pick for me. My preceptor is saying that I am too timid and that the people in Major are going to eat me alive.
I prepared myself for the fact that the doctors can be grouchy SOBs, but I didn't realize how many of the staff members have very strong personalities themselves. I am totally opposite. I am more laid back but I do like order so I thought that I would like the structure of the OR dynamic but I find it very hindering to my education. I feel like I can't even tie a gown properly.
I want this to work but at the same time I don't want to get 6 months down the line and now the dept has invested thousands of dollars for my education and I transfer to another unit. How much time should I give this before I know if this is new OR nurse jitters or a real wrong fit. Since I have only worked at this place for 1 month do you think that they would let me transfer or would I be required to work the 6 months like the policy says. Sorry this post is so long, I'm just sorting through so many emotions I don't know what to think. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I was scared for the entire first year. There is so much to learn and the OR is very fast paced. There is no where to hide. During a case you are "on stage" so to speak. When something needs to be done it usually needs to be done now! Ha! The now can be because the surgeon or the scrub(we are the stars of the show-don't you know) are just being prima donnas or because the patient is in jeopardy.

Give yourself time. The OR is the coolest place to be a nurse. Remember, after you learn which suture to use when, where the tru-cut needles are and what they are used for, you still will have a ways to go before you are trusted and known by the staff and docs. Especially the docs. My docs have known me for almost thirty years. I can practically do no wrong. I can screw something up and you can do thirty things perfect, I will still be the one they talk to until they get to know you. That takes time.

Three things.

Surgeons rely on feeling comfortable during a case. They have to know the staff and feel that we know what we are doing. I always say a good OR nurse, esp. the circulator, is Mom. If Mom is there everything will be alright.

The second thing- DO NOT TAKE ANYTHING PERSONALLY Do your best, really, to understand where the other people you are dealing with are coming from. Surgeons may seem cocky but they are nervous sometimes scared. How would you feel if every move you are making is being watched ? You kind of know if you are new to the OR, right? Staff have a hard time standing by waiting for you to remember where something is or for you to develop your ear for the field-to know that the scrubbed team is waiting for something from you.

This is the most important thing to remember. It is not about you, it is about the patient. You, the RN, are the patients voice, eyes, and ears while they are in surgery. You are the one that represent the operation to them. you answer the questions they and their family raise. You do have a relationship with that person so treat them like you would want to be treated in that situation. You will have to stand up to doctors pushing you to go to the room before everything is ready for the patient- like they want to see their brother coming from the waiting room. You will be the one that makes everyone shut up when the patient is waking up so that they are not hearing laughing and loud conversations and you will be the one that closes the blinds and runs reps out of the room when you uncover a patient for the prep. You are the patient's ADVOCATE.

rnstone · Jun 13, 2005

hello! please know that what you are feeling is so normal. you will run into or :angryfire witches and personalities you'd rather not deal with but you will also find that when things click, (and they will) you will love your job. there will be people who understand where you are coming from and will take you under their wings. you will have days when you want to walk up to your boss and quit, but keep your original dream of working in the or in the front of your mind, keep working at it, and it will be so much better in a matter of time. i had one friend that i vented to and i told her multiple times that or nursing was not for me. she encouraged me to keep going and give it at least one year. i am so glad that i listened to her! i have been in the or for three years and i can't imagine doing anything else right now. i have even applied for upper management and was told that i am a great candidate and there will be jobs in the same realm when i have a bit more experience. it takes years to learn the multiple specialties and this is after 6 months-year to learn general surgery. so.....keep going and it will all turn out the way you first imagined it would be. :chuckle keep remembering that as an or nurse you only have one patient at a time. what other floor can you work where you can concentrate on each patient on a one-on-one basis? good luck and keep truckin'. there are many patients out there that will appreciate your work and care while they were at their most vulnerable!

eezee · Jul 9, 2005

I can remember when I started in the OR. I was a new grad and the OR was where I really, really wanted to be. The first three months were an exhausting, exciting, frustrating blur. If you really want the OR don't even think about leaving until you give it the first three months. Why do you think the orientation can be up to a year long? There is so much to learn and it's a whole different way of thinking stop!!...don't put your back to the sterile field! So, much to think about, but it becomes ingrained in you that you never forget it. I remember walking around the grocery store with my hands folded at my waist, then I knew it was sticking with me.
Find a mentor. You need someone who will shove you lovingly up to the sterile field when you're brand new to scrubbing and tell you to muscle your way in, set up your bovie and suction and get ready to hand the knife to the doctor. You need to get in the action whether it be tying the gown for the scrub nurse/tech or doc, pick up anything that's anywhere it doesn't need to be, including the floor, plug in stuff, count stuff, get involved and don't be afraid. You went to surgery for a reason.....you love it.
I wish I could be there to hold your hand and muscle you through the crowd and help you feel more accomplished. Just knowing which is the Vicryl and which is the Nylon is a big feat. Watch, watch, watch. Listen, listen, listen. Ask, ask, ask. Do you have a book? Get either Alexanders "Care of the Patient in Surgery" (excellent!) or Operating Room TEchnique (simplified, but helpful for the beginner) from your educator or college bookstore. I have seen them occasionally at Barnes and Noble or Borders.
I'm so excited for you!!!! Don't be afraid. Find the people who really like to teach and ask them if they mind if you latch on to them as a buddy for a while. Ask the educator to have discussions about how you're feeling and how you're doing. Once people get to know you you'll feel part of the team, but it takes more than 2 weeks. Don't quit.

Everything in this thread is really so helpful! I am also a newbie in the OR. In fact, I just only finished my first week!!Yes, my very first week!! I was a bedside nurse before I was transferred to the operating room of the same hospital. Like her, I am really feeling so nervous now & overwhelmed..overwhelmed of the environment itself, my co-nurses, my superiors, & the doctors!! Most of my workmates are giving a big deal on superiority! And this is a one big factor why I am also thinking now if I've had made the right decision of accepting the offer being transferred to this special area?? This is really a big challenge!! Hope I can overcome it!