Not Happy With My OR

[IsseyM]

Hi everyone. I went straight into the OR right after i graduated nursing school. I took the AORN periop class and signed a contract. I am not happy working in this OR for many reasons. I dread getting up every morning to go to work. When i am at work i want to leave because the environment feels toxic and draining. I really don't want to be there and this feeling is awful. I've talked to some nurses with similiar feelings. Some have said this is one of the worst ORs they worked in and would never even think about coming back to this place, these are experienced travelers telling me this; however, i've heard from other travelers its not too bad and they've seen worse. Since i've been there over a year i've seen so many nurses/techs come and go. I haven't seen any travelers come back. I want to quit but due to the contract i have to stay for 10 more months. If i get out the contract i have to pay back all the bonus money which is a good chunk of change. Working in this OR has me wondering if becoming a nurse was a mistake. I thought i would love the OR, i was so excited about it. But now I feel disappointed,sad,hopeless,frustrated, irritated and like i wasted so much time with school. Then again i love the medical field and there is so much to do...but i don't know what kind of nursing i want to do, i already know i don't want to do floor nursing. When i graduated i was stuck between choosing the OR and ED. Who knows maybe i just need to work in another OR because alot of OR nurses seem to LOVE it and i keep thinking why don't I. I want to love my career!! The OR i work in has some issues and it needs some work, something that i can't change. The only thing i can change is my attitude towards this place or just change jobs. This is really hard because i really don't want to break the contract but i don't want to stay and if i leave i don't know where i want to go.... sigh. Just needed to get this off my chest right now as i am dreading work tomorrow.

[mikethern]

I'm looking into agency... I get treated like crap anyway, so I figured I might as well get paid a bit more to deal with it.

Exactly. That's why I did travel nursing. If you do not enjoy your job, you should at least make sure that you are being paid top dollar. Take advantage of the nursing shortage.

[IsseyM]

Thank you everyone for your great advice and support! Everytime i feel bad i'm going to come here and read all of your posts, it helps me feel better. Feels like all of you are my cheerleaders and your responses will help me get through the next 10 months. I will definately use the next 10 months to learn as much as i can, and yes i do see this as a great learning experience, a stepping stone to get where i really want to be. It'll be really really hard but i'm determined to stick with it, besides i'll feel proud of myself because it will feel like i accomplished something... like a runner making it to the finish line. Again thank you all so much for your feedback/support. It really means a lot to me.

IsseyM

[TracyB,RN, RN]

Hey Issey...I was just checking in to see how you were hanging in...

I frequently have to remind myself that it is not my problem if some jerk of a surgeon/co-worker/resident/med-student/ supervisor, etc, etc is in a bad mood. Heck with them. Don't let them

ruin your day or your experiences. Too much cool stuff to learn.

I've also been in a rough spot at work & sometimes just having a day off during the week really helps. LOL, sometimes 2...

I was thinking about saying hell with it the other day & saw a piece of something on the ground while we were trick-or-treating... It was a laminated bookmark with the Serenity Prayer. Now, if that's not a sign from God to stick it out, I don't know what is...Hmmm, maybe it was God telling me to get out while the getting was good, LOL.. Either way... we are responsible for our own happiness...

Hang in there.