Offered a position in the OR after graduation!

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Hello All!

I am currently doing my Capstone in the OR. I LOVE it! However, one thing I noticed is that it's very little patient contact.

It's been two weeks so far and right now, my preceptor has me calling Time In and Time Out, keeping count, assisting with positioning and transferring, helping open, helping the scrub techs scrub in, as well as the surgeons, getting supplies, setting up the cautry machine and placing the grounding pad, etc. I havent got a chance to do any charting and that's ok. She also has me picking the patient up in pre-op, interviewing the patient, checking the chart to make sure all consents have been signed. I also help close the case and take the patient over to PACU.

I kinda caught on fast because I'm a hands on person. I recieved nothing but positive feedback from the preceptor.

The educator came to me last week and asked me if I already had a job lined up after graduation. I told her I've interviewed twice but no offers as of yet. She asked me if I would be interested in working the OR after graduation. I told her that is the ultimate goal.

Nursing is a second career for me and the only reason why I went to nursing school is to become an OR nurse. However, I understand that I need to get experience FIRST, to build a foundation, because this is how I operate.

So my question is would it be beneficial to get my year of experience on the floor first simply because I don't have any prior medical experience, or should I bite the bullet and go straight to the OR? I will say I will probably miss the patient interaction.

I was kinda thinking I will get 9 months to 1 year experience on the floor, then transfer to the OR. I would still work the floor, but only PRN to keep up my skills. I notice I will not be doing much nursing skills in the OR. I may put in a foley here and there. But as far as IV's or passing meds, I don't think I'll be doing much of that.

Your advice is greatly appericated!

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Specializes in OR, HH.

Congratulations!!!

I would highly recommend working on the floor (what about ER, ICU), then to the OR. If by some chance you decide you don't like the OR, you can always go back to the floor, ER, etc.

I went into the OR right out of Nursing School and although I enjoyed the OR, I really missed the patient interaction, etc that you get from the floor. Now, in this horrible job market (yes, even for nurses) I am finding it hard to find a job. Most everyone wants experienced nurses and there are a lot of nurses returning to the workforce.

Good Luck,

Muffin

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Specializes in OR, transplants,GYN oncology.

Hi, and congratulations on your upcoming graduation!:balloons:

RNs play a very real nursing role in surgery.

It takes very little time to pick out even a very experienced OR nurse who has never worked on the floors. Experience on the floors is very valuable. Experience on the general patient care unit gives the new grad a solid opportunity to hone skills in assessment, time management, leadership, effective communication with docs, and the big one - confidence.

RNs in the OR have struggled for years to be accepted as "real" nurses. Strong "real nursing" skills do make a difference in a perioperative nurse and in the care patients receive.

You do have patient contact in the OR, and a valuable skill is being able to make the most of the small window of time you have with the patient while they're still awake. Strong assessment & communication skills are essential in that regard. If you are able to get a handle on the patient's knowledge and intelligence levels, you will be able to more effectively provide pre-op teaching and reassurance. Going through the history & physical and labs quickly & confidently will enable you to assess and plan efficiently. The list goes on. I've been in the OR for almost 25 years now & am still always glad I spent 4 years on the floor first (one as an RN, one as an LPN, and 2 as an aide).

So, yes, take that year on the floor to get your legs under you and your confidence up. Then come join us in surgery because we always need more interested, motivated nurses among us!

Good luck. Linda

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Specializes in Cardiac.

I'm still in nursing school, but here's my two cents on what you have said.

Your goal is to be an OR nurse, and now you are offered a job in the OR, that may not be there later. If I were you I would jump on that opportunity only because times are tough, but if they can gaurantee that that job will be there after your time on the floor, then take the time on the floor first.

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I agree. It can be hard to get an OR position even if you have floor experience. Seize the day and take the OR job. If you still want floor experience, you can work per diem or volunteer on the floor one day a week.

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linda 2097 is right. You're lucky that you're educator is considering you for a job that you love. Just take linda's advice. Buy the way, I work in the Ambulatory Procedure Unit and I was wondering. How do you get into an OR position? Do you have to enroll in a nursing program for that? Goodluck nurse2be09.

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Go for it. Your ultimate goal is to be in the OR and they offer you a position in the OR? Sounds perfect to me. Getting out of an OR is easy, getting into an OR is hard. With the economy crunch coming up, hospitals are hiring new grads less and less.

The OR obviously saw something in you that made them offer you a job, you must be OR material.

I am hoping for the same situation in a few weeks when I start capstone. Good luck with which ever route you choose!

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Go for it. Your ultimate goal is to be in the OR and they offer you a position in the OR? Sounds perfect to me. Getting out of an OR is easy, getting into an OR is hard. With the economy crunch coming up, hospitals are hiring new grads less and less.

The OR obviously saw something in you that made them offer you a job, you must be OR material.

I am hoping for the same situation in a few weeks when I start capstone. Good luck with which ever route you choose!

It's funny you say that. One of the docs noticed I was "an assertive nursing student" and asked to keep me!

I do have a Type A personality, but I know when to fall back and when to stand up. Also, I have a tough skin sorta speak and I don't take things personal. I spent 14 years working in Corporate America, which has prepared me for my new career. Five years of that was spent doing customer service and being yelled at all day long. So someone yelling at me means nothing.

Also, I'm a hands on person and I caught on pretty quick. Now, they have me doing count, final count, running to get supplies, help opening, time in, time out, positioning, and giving report to PACU.

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linda 2097 is right. You're lucky that you're educator is considering you for a job that you love. Just take linda's advice. Buy the way, I work in the Ambulatory Procedure Unit and I was wondering. How do you get into an OR position? Do you have to enroll in a nursing program for that? Goodluck nurse2be09.

If you want to be an OR Cirulating Nurse, you do have to go to nursing school. There are some OR's who only use an all RN staff, which include RN's as scrub nurses. There is only one in my city and that's the Childern's Hospital.

If you want to just scrub, then you should consider becoming a scrub tech.

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Thanks to everyone who posted!

I have decided to take a job on the floor for 9 months to a year. I have talked it over the OR Educator and she also recommended I do this route as well, considering I have no prior medical experience, other than working as a Nurse Intern on a Med-Tele floor.

I really want to develop my skills as a nurse FIRST, so I can be marketable to go anywhere I please and not be confined to JUST the OR. If I was do go straight to the OR after nursing school, then it would be really hard to transition to the floor if I wanted to do something different.

I have also decided I will continue to work the floor PRN after I get the job in the OR. The OR Educator said there is a large turn over in the OR (at her hospital) and it shouldnt be hard to get a job there in a year from now. In fact, my current preceptor may be leaving because her husband is trying to get a job out of state.

My heart will ALWAYS be in surgery as my FIRST love, but it's only been 3 weeks and I notice it's the same thing over and over. I will need to have patient contact and do something different to break up the monotony. So, the OR would be my full time job (Three 12's a week) and then work the floor every other weekend as PRN. I think this would be a good fit for me.

Your feedback is greatly appericated!

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Specializes in OR, HH.

nurse2be09,

It is a very smart move to work the floor first. I have 3 years OR exp and now that I am wanting to do something else (tele) they look at me not as a new grad, but someone with exp in OR only. This has made it very difficult because I can't get into new grad programs and I know that they will hire a new grad over me because they are fresh out of school.

Good Luck!!!!!

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