New RN's in OR?

[alodocios]

I am an lpn going for my asn. I want to work the OR more than anything in the world, only nursing i want to do. How hard is it for a new grad to get into the OR, and how do seasoned nurses feel about a newbie comming into the OR without first having worked med/surge. Every instructor and nurse is telling me don't do OR first because i will not be able to hone my skills but if i have to do other nursing, i probably don't want to do nursing at all, I am an OR nurse in my heart, and it is what i want to do.:redbeathe

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I was actually hired before I even graduated, directly into an OR residency program. The other two nurses in my class were also new grads, although one had already been working in the OR as a tech. The one thing about the OR is that almost nobody leaves until it's time to retire! Even though I've been there for 5 years, I've only moved up about 2 slots in seniority.

I don't really agree that every nurse needs med-surg experience before specializing. Had that been required of me, I probably would have burned out and left nursing within the first year. I absolutely hated my med-surg rotations in school.

Not sure how it is other places, but our OR LOVES new people, because it means that (until the newer people leave, which we have a bit of a problem with) they have to work fewer of the later shifts (11-1930, 11-2130, 15-2330) and usually end up with the better weekend shift/call schedule.

[Kingbandit]

This just my opinion.

I have an unique perspective on things. I began as a sure tech then got my ADN. I realized I wanted to create a varied set of skills, so I chose to enter critical care. The experience I received really can't be taught. I never would have learned these skills if I had remained in the OR.

I tell new grads to take the opportunity to learn whenever you have the chance. The RN's role has been frequently placed in jeopardy by competing specialties, rising healthcare costs, and ever increasing nurses salaries. We have given up many of the roles our fellow nurses practice daily. Today rather than be the person who basically ochestrates the majority of a patients care, we compete with techs, CRNA, aides, PA's, RNFA, & FA. We rarely even stick in an IV.

If I was you, no matter how much it. sucks go get your feet wet then come back and show your true colors.

[prplscrubs]

i was a new grad that was hired directly into the or internship program. the question came up at my interview "why should we hire you directly out of school with you doing a year of med/surg?" i told them, that i am an open book that they could teach and train me the way they wanted to without having to "reteach" things that i learned on the floor that were done differently in the or (ex. administering blook products.. on the floor i believe it has to go in over 4 hours? not sure exactly, but in the or we have rapid infusers that can put a pint of blood in in just a few seconds if need be when we have a patient bleeding out) things are done so different in the or. for a long while i have to say i did feel as though i was not using my nursing skills like they taught in school, then i realized, i am just in a different way. which is what its really about anyway. good luck to you! if it is what you want to do, i say go for it!