Certifed Surgical Tech to RN

[kellerj]

I wanted to have some feedback on a hot topic that is going to start to be addressed at the hospital that I work at. I am currently a Certified Surgical Technologist for sometime now and I am going to be taking a position in the OR as a Registered Nurse as a new grad. In the past, the CSTs that have transitioned to the RN role have started out with new grad pay, but have started training nurses coming into the OR shortly after because they knew the OR better than most. My question is in other facilities, are/should CSTs get experience pay when they transition into the RN role? The reason why this is a hot topic is because the RNs that have scrubbing experience are being asked to scrub cases if short on CSTs. Thanks for your opinions and responses in advance.

[ORoxyO]

Most hospitals around here have strict guidelines for pay based on years of experience. As an RN, you have 0 years experience. You might get a bump for being a previous employee but I wouldn't expect experienced pay for a job you are not experienced in. Scrub tech experience does not equal RN experience. It will help you a great deal though and should give you huge leg up on newbies.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

The scope of the RN in the OR includes both scrubbing or circulating with the appropriate training; therefore, I do not see any merit for paying extra just because one can scrub. However, at my facility, if a surg tech has been working long enough to have hit the high end of the pay scale, they are getting paid a small amount higher than a new grad RN with no experience. These techs are then paid at the same rate rather than taking a pay cut to transition to RN. As ORoxyO said, you have 0 years of experience as an RN, and the role and responsibilities of the RN is different from the role and responsibilities of the surg tech.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

I am in the same position as you. By the time I finish NS, I'll have 13 years hospital experience. Tog hospital will half that so I will start out with 6.5 years of experience.

[libran1984, ASN, RN]

I think that is totally wrong that places do not factor CST experience into RN experience. There IS correlation between CST and RN. OR RNs are using OR nursing skills which I'm sure a well educated CST possesses quite a but if knowledge on already. All that other stuff you learn in nursing school isn't going to be of immense value to you during surgery.

I'm sorry this happened to you. At very minimum, to be fair, you should be granted half time experience like LPNs are frequently are (ie: 2 yrs LPN = 1 yr RN)

[Loves2scrub]

I've been a scrub tech for almost 12 years. When I graduate nursing school in May, the hospital I work for is going to start me out as a RN with 6 years of experience.

[lth1123]

I hope someone recognize my experience. I have scrubbed for 12 years and first assisted the last five years. I don't graduate from nursing school until 2015 making 14 years total. I think to start me out new grad pay is an insult. I don't have to get all but acknowledge that experience because not all OR nurses scrub!

[lth1123]

What state are you in?

[SC APRN, DNP, APRN, NP]

I was compensated for my many years in the OR, and my orientation was half the time as a new grad or new OR nurse. Sometimes I found myself teaching my preceptor. so yes I feel you should be compensated!!!

We pay at a 50% RN experience rate so 20 years as a CST= RN at 10 years pay.

[divadoll69]

I had been a ST for four years and started my first RN job in the OR and did not get any compensation for being a ST first. I agree that the training is half the time and we can contribute to the organization much sooner....we should get some compensation.

[stalbott888]

Yeah..I had 10 years experience as a surg tech. I went back to school to get my RN, only to find out it really didn't mean anything. Everyone told me with all my scrubbing experience, I could "name" my hourly wage. Well, no I couldn't. I am really not making that much more as an RN. I've been out of school for a few years now, so I have worked my wage up the ladder by changing jobs a couple of times, but I'm still not making as much as some of the OR nurses, even though I had all this experience as a tech.

[pattyn]

I also was a tech before becoming an R.N When I was a tech many years ago, an R.N. made a statement that techs did not understand all that is involved in O.R. nursing and should not think that the jobs of RN and techs are interchangeable. I thought, at that time, her statement was a very arrogant one. However, being an RN now for over 40 years, I now understand her position. Nursing involves much more than most techs understand.