New and tired

Yes, the OR is VERY intense, especially for a newbie. There is so much to learn that bears practically no relation to any floor nursing you may have done. For months, I felt like I was drinking out of a fire hose...

Hang in there and it WILL get easier. OR nursing is well worth the effort.

BTW-- I always prided myself that I never took naps but now I often take one when I get home. I have a schedule similar to yours, and by quitting time I'm pooped!

Yep, you're normal. I've been an OR nurse for 10 years and at the end of some days I can hardly walk to my car. Find ways to give yourself a break at home. I started buying some partially prepared foods, no more fully homecooked meals. Have a cup of coffee or tea when you first get home. Tell the kids to give you 15 minutes to unwind and then they can climb all over you (lol).

I am going to say that I believe it will get better. Your body and mind are not used to going at this pace and it is going to take some time to adjust. Even then, as others have said, there will be days when it kicks your butt, but I don't think you will be going home feeling this way forever. Friends who went to other floors when we graduated all reported the same problem, so I think when you are new at nursing regardless of what floor you are on, there is an awful lot to take in and it can wear you down. Stick with it, for at least 6-8 months and see how you feel about it then. Truly, I think you will find it easier as you go. Meanwhile, be kind to yourself and don't expect too much of either your mind or your body!

Thank you all for such kind replies. I've been reading the First Year Nursing board and if anything it just makes me feel like I've got nothing to complain about. I knew that going to the OR was the right decision, I think I just underestimated how such a different schedule would be for me. I needed to whine and I can't whine at work, my personal friends are sympathetic but they just think I'm nuts and the husband gets enough second hand stress!

Thanks for the validation. I especially like the drinking from a firehose thing.

I would be grateful for any tips you all think might be useful.

Thanks!

I need some feedback from relatively new OR nurses on their orientation and hours. I feel like a jerk, I am about to complain about a schedule that new grads dream about. It's five days per week, 7-1530. The thing is, that translate to a 5:20 wake up and in the door at 1645 for me. I can stay functional until about 1930, and then I'm a mess. I go to bed before my kids and I am a cranky mommy.

I love this job. I love learning all of the specialities, I work with really smart people and I have a supportive orientation with good preceptors. But I drive to work with acid roiling in my stomach and hope that the day goes fast. I am unbelievably abysmally dumb by Friday and make mistakes that I would never normally make and then I wonder what the hell I am doing in this job.

Is it me or is the OR intense? I am concentrating hard all day and I have about an hour of useful consciousness at home before I need to go hide.

I am getting good feedback from my preceptors and superiors, but I feel like I am going to break soon. The main thing in the OR that is really tough is keeping your mouth shut. I used to have a pretty social job and while I have never been a jabberer, I was used to friendly people. Now I feel like I have to keep quiet because everyone is taking my measure. It's exhausting.

What is wrong with me?

Absolutely nothing is wrong with you...It can take a about a year before that acid in the stomach goes away..there is a big learning curve in the OR-that's why the orientation is so long. I was a surgical tech for years and still had to make an adjustment.

But one day, a wonderful thing will happen. You'll be going about your business in a room when you realize that you are actually enjoying your job and that you aren't scared witless anymore. It does happen, trust me. You need to be gentle with yourself. It's good that you've gotten positive feedback-some people don't.

And mistakes happen..I always say, as long as my mistakes don't hurt or kill anyone, then no biggie. I try not to do the same silly thing twice..everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, despite what some coworkers and surgeons may say!

Flyor, any chance you can work 4 days a week instead of 5? It would make a big difference.

Assuming that I get through the orientation, a different schedule is possible and believe me, I am counting down the days. Like I said, I feel like a jerk. This is a really great hospital, and most people are nice and supportive. I am being a whiner here. It's just that I am scared most of the time, and if I am not scared I'm on break wondering if the end of the day is ever going to arrive.

Even though I tell myself to not get rattled and try to rush, I find myself rushing to hand something and then I either drop something or narrowly avoid sticking myself. I am a one woman environmental menace with all of the supplies that I have dropped. I get obsessed with sterility, second guessing when I KNOW that I didn't breach and it all just exhausts me mentally. I double glove not only because it's safe, but also because I found myself questioning breaches so often it was just easier to doff the glove than torture myself.

I have stuck myself more than once with needles or lap hooks, not to pierce the glove, but they scare me all the same. Then I waste the suture, just in case I did stick myself. . . See, I'm pathetic.

Any advice on staying safe while scrubbing? Or circulating for that matter.

On the plus side, I take criticism well. It really isn't other people messing with me. It's me. Same dumb story. Straight A's in school, successful previous career, now ongoing trainwreck. I LIKE the OR, I like the work. I wish that I could hit all of the marks all of the time, but I'm not even really afraid to be alone, in fact, my favorite configuration is to scrub by myself with a strong person circulating, that way if I get into trouble they can tell me what to do, but otherwise I have to troubleshoot myself. The same works for circulating. If I am co-circulated I get depressed, because there's always something that I'm caught forgetting, and I can't self correct in time. Then I feel like an idiot.

And she's whining again. Sigh.

Thanks for all the kind advice, I am trying to heed you.

i was a nurse on a cardiac floor for 2 years before starting in the or. it is completely different, but i went to the or because it was monday - friday 7 - 1530ish (no weekends, or holidays). the schedule was awesome compared to every other weekend, and going from night shift to day shift all the time. i didn't know if i was coming or going. i was very nervous for about a year when i started on the floor (felt sick as well). the or is also a little scary with all the new things (that we don't learn in nursing school). i have been there for about a year now, and it is not as scary. i am tired when i get home (not nearly as bad as when i used to swing shifts). i usually try to work out a little (i get more energy and feel more awake that way, the problem is just starting the workout!) i think you will like the or, one nurse told me it can take a year to start to feel comfortable in your profession. you'll feel the same if you were on the floor. have fun!!!

Even though I tell myself to not get rattled and try to rush, I find myself rushing to hand something and then I either drop something or narrowly avoid sticking myself. I am a one woman environmental menace with all of the supplies that I have dropped.

Here's a important tip that I learned from combat soliders....

SLOW IS SMOOTH. SMOOTH IS FAST.

Let me explain. When you are under a lot of stress, such as being shot at, you are better off acting slowly and precisely instead of fast and sloppy. Turn your body slow and steady, aim smoothly, and shoot. You will find that slow and smooth is very efficient, which actually makes you fast.

SLOW IS SMOOTH. SMOOTH IS FAST.

Same goes for nursing. When you scrub or circulate, concentrate on being SMOOTH. Be smooth and GRACEFUL. Pretend you are being graded on being smooth. As long as you are smooth, you will be fast enough. Surgeon do not like nervous nurses. BE SMOOTH.

See links.....

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_interpert_the_quote_Slow_is_smooth_Smooth_is_fast

http://threatencountermanagement.com/articles/slowissmooth.htm

Absolutely nothing is wrong with you...It can take a about a year before that acid in the stomach goes away..there is a big learning curve in the OR-that's why the orientation is so long. I was a surgical tech for years and still had to make an adjustment.

But one day, a wonderful thing will happen. You'll be going about your business in a room when you realize that you are actually enjoying your job and that you aren't scared witless anymore. It does happen, trust me. You need to be gentle with yourself. It's good that you've gotten positive feedback-some people don't.

And mistakes happen..I always say, as long as my mistakes don't hurt or kill anyone, then no biggie. I try not to do the same silly thing twice..everyone makes mistakes and no one is perfect, despite what some coworkers and surgeons may say!

Thanks for putting that into words for me, Squirrel!

I've been off orientation and scrubbing or circulating on my own for about a month.

I do have days that I feel totally out of place, like I can't do anything right, and then there are days that things go great, and I love my job. I keep reading over and over from many of you that it will take a year to feel comfortable... that seems a long time but it gives me hope. When someone says "Strong work" or "Good job," I say "Yes, I am teachable."

Linda2097, you are so right that surgeons don't like shaky, nervous nurses. I had a doc look into my eyes and say, slowly, "Take a deep breath. Relax. You're doing fine." That helped me so much... and it's so embarrasing that she had to tell me that, LOL. SLOW IS SMOOTH. SMOOTH IS FAST. I'm so going to use that! Thanks!

FlyOR, We can so do this! Hang in there! I work 3/12's 7a-7p, which means I'm up at 4:30 and get home at 8:30. My kids don't see me the days I work, but they're teenagers so they manage... sort of. But boy, the lists of things they need from me on my days off... whoa.

Thank you very much for the advice and links. I have been repeating Slow is smooth, smooth is fast to myself.

Thanks for the support. It means a lot.

Try this on for size... I whole heartedly feel you pain. I was an ER Nurse for 9 years and was the go to person there. Now I feel like I am in the twilight zone in the OR. It is completely different, however I love it. I too feel like an ulcer about to erupt. I started the 12 week OR class in Jan of this year, which is the military version of the AORN Class, 1 month didactic and 2 months circulating. Then I moved to my new base and job. Oriented for 2 weeks, and had to go to a leadership lab for 5 weeks (totally unrelated to anything medical, something I have to do to get promoted to Major). Now here I am i re-started my orientation in July after the leadership lab and 1 August is the end of my orientation; 6 weeks total and to top it off I will be the Nurse Manager for Ortho. Not only am I a new OR Nurse but am now the supposed resource for Ortho? I wish I had the orientation you guys speak of!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!