New OR RN needs help

[RollingThunder]

Hey everybody,

I am a new RN (graduated BSN Dec. 2005 and passed boards Jan. 2006) starting orientation today in the OR of a local medical center. Where can I get a head start on learning some of the terminology, tools, etc. conducive to survival of a green RN in the OR? Also, when I am in the operating room, how and where should I focus my learning? As far as I have been able to tell (I've seen a total knee and a colon resection) the techs do the hands on stuff and the RN gives the team additional supplies that may be needed during the procedure, computer documents, answers the phone (and physician pages) and leads and documents the count after the surgical procedure. Is it normal to feel lost on the first day? Any help will be appreciated.

[Realgains]

Here's my .02 :)

MAKE THEM teach you to scrub all specialties! Talk to the manager and express this and she will give in.

Then I highly recommend that after a year with that hospital move on to a hospital with minimal to NO techs. I have nothing against techs but it is best to be able to scrub a lot as well as circulate.

The only places in the USA that have few or no techs are some places in California and parts of New England and a few places in Washington state.

The University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle is huge and has only a few techs. They will put you through a SIX MONTH orientation as a newish OR nurse in which you learn to scrub just about everything.

If you don't get comfortable with scrubbing early then you will never pursue it and you'll be stuck in OR's that have a 50/50 RN to tech ratio and that limits you a lot...and also makes your job a bit boring.

No disrespect to those OR nurses that don't scrub...but they simply cannot get a job in many of the better OR's in the country...where working conditions are the best for nurses(unions)...where we get the most respect and the best pay and benefits...and that's Parts of New England, NW Washinton state, and parts of California.