OR nurses & students

fergus51 · Feb 9, 2006

That's pretty close to how my home hospital did things, except if the OR nurses did acknowledge the students it was to be rude to them. They didn't understand why no one was applying to work there after graduation later. I was just glad my exposure to them was limited to c-sections since I worked L&D.

I have worked at several different hospitals and seen much nicer OR nurses. Some places just have problems and aren't great places for students. On the bright side, you know where not to apply for work when you graduate.

LeesieBug · Feb 10, 2006

Sorry you had a bad time.

Just wanted to say that it is NOT like that everywhere. As a student, I have been in the OR for observation three times, at two different hospitals, and all three times were WONDERFUL experiences. Everyone was welcoming, friendly, explained everything, joked with me....I really enjoyed it. When I watched a cardiac bypass, the surgeon even got me a stool to stand on at the head of the patient, so I could see EVERYTHING. That was amazing!

I hope this doesn't discourage you from pursuing OR if that is what you were interested in before. Just like EVERY other area of nursing, you have to judge each unit on its own merits. One mildly grumpy bunch doesn't make that the rule.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 10, 2006

I wanted to ask how all of you OR nurses are with students. Out of curiousity, I am wondering if my experience is standard or isolated...
My clinical rotations were in the OR this week (3rd year BSN program), and what I had hoped would be educational turned out to be just short of a major drag. The scrub/circ nurses acknowledged that I was there...then that was it. I did ask some questions but didn't feel they were very welcome. I understand they have a job to do, and student's questions are probably last on the list, but if they have time to sit down for a few and read a magazine, you'd think they might have done a little teaching....or even make eye contact.
What really burned me, is after two days of this, the same group of nurses go into the break room complaining about how desperate they are for OR nurses. I guess what I don't understand, is if they felt so strongly about needing more OR nurses you'd think they would *try* to make it a positive experience for a student nurse anticipating the field.
So is this pretty standard? How do you personally treat students in the OR?
Today I had a great time with the anesthesiologist and the surgeon who was doing an aortic valve replacement...I learned far more from them and felt more welcome and encouraged by them than any of the nursing staff.
I will be interested in reading any feedback on this, because I want to know if this is the norm.
~J

From my perspective:

1) We have had a grand total of 43 students rotate through the cases that i've scrubbed on this week. That's not counting the other rooms and cases!

2) The nurse reading the magazine? There's a good chance that that's the closest thing she'll get to a break that day.

3) Pt and everything related to the pt. comes first. Student does come last. While teaching might be fun, I need my attention directed at the cases, and distractions don't help me to hear what a mumbling surgeon wants next.

4) Not meaning this to sound harsh, but you may have thought they wanted to do some teaching, but really, they aren't obligated to, and if you're one of the 43 that have been in that room that day, the nurses might be a little burntout on teaching.

I will do what i can for a student if possible, after all, it's not been that long since i was one, BUT, my priority lies with my pt., sterile technique, the surgeon, the procedure, FIRST.

(and before it's said, i am not excusing anyone's rudeness with my post...)

RNin2007 · Feb 10, 2006

I completely understand and respect what you are gathering, from your perspective...wow 43 students is quite a bit.

I know for sure that this hospital doesn't see that many students...we don't have a med school here, and only 2 nursing schools, which are relatively small. The only reason I commented on the magazine thing, is because after my second day in the OR, they all said how slow it was there. The comment about desperately needing OR nurses came during a break in the staff lounge right after that case where the nurse was reading the magazine. I won't argue that I am sure there are days where that might be their only break...I am sure that is the truth.

I don't know....I don't want to seem like I am pointing fingers and being whiny, because I do truly understand they have a job. I wouldn't expect the patient to be anything less than their #1 priority. I was just surprised that during my 2 full days there, and the 3 cases I observed, that I didn't feel any reception at all from them. Even if they didn't teach/explain, they could have at least said hello, ya know?

From what the other poster said, this isn't always the case...that is what I was trying to get at.

~J

shodobe · Feb 10, 2006

Break or no break it is just plain wrong to ignore students the way some OR nurses do. They belly-ache all the time, "we're over-worked, understaff" but will continue to ignore them in the name of patient care. Poppy-cock! There is always time to give to students who show the interest and try to explain what is going on. Just sitting there and reading a magazine, which is a no-no in the first place, is just plain rude and on the edge of being elitist. We are no better than anyone else and have to remember that if we impress just one student out of dozens, or 43, that rotate through our department we have done good. RNin2007 can come around anytime to me and will feel welcomed and not fill like a second class citizen. I guess my time management skills are pretty good since I can not only take care of my patient but also the needy surgeon and sometimes the clueless anesthesia. Come on people stop being so self-centered and help these students in their hour of need, all they want is a little help and we as oldies but goodies don't need to snack on the helpless.

RNin2007 · Feb 10, 2006

shodobe...

Thanks for your reply...I sure wish I would have had an opportunity to have been in a case with you! I think maybe after awhile, nurses forget what it is like to be new and forget what it is like to be fascinated by an experience. From watching the patient be covered in ioban, marked with a permanent marker, the sternum being closed with stainless "thread"...I was in awe. I had never smelled burning (cauterized) flesh before! Major sensory overload, and even though I didn't have any interaction with the nurses, it was still great to be in there. I can see how mumbling surgeons can be difficult to understand, but I still would have liked to have had a better concept on all the tools being used, order of how the table was set up...they certainly had time to talk while they set up (my book only goes into so much detail, so the rest I had to create my own hypothesis).

I also learned why the heck they always make you take off your underwear! LOL (Bovee (sp?) machine). There was just so much going on you don't get from a text book, or Discovery Health channel...

:)

~J

NurseEllie · Feb 11, 2006

Sorry about your bad experience. It's not like that everywhere, it really depends on the nurse you're with. Just like everywhere some are duds and some are fantastic. You were probably put in that case because the case itself was a good experience, not because the nurse was a teacher type nurse. But understand that we do get a lot of students (nursing, scrub tech, med students, PA students, new hires) and its helpful when the student asks the questions during the down time. Like you said, we forget what's new, and don't know what you don't know. Maybe you should ask for another observation experience.

Jo Dirt · Feb 11, 2006

I am considering eventually going into the OR, it was my favorite place to rotate when we did hospital clinicals. But I hate to admit that I saw an overabundance of lousy attitudes in that OR. Catty/flippant remarks, making fun of sedated patients (even one of the doctors was getting in on the "fun"...it really turned me off and I will never go to that doctor). There was one surgical tech who was so snotty I wanted to slap her.

But in spite of this I think I would like to work in the OR. There was one nurse (a circulator) a couple of doctors and several anesthetists who were wonderful. I like the atmosphere in the OR. I'm having trouble dealing with anything to do with the eyes (really squigs me out) but I am willing to work on it.

I also liked the schedule they had. They started at 6:30 and most of the time were cleaning up to leave at 12.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 11, 2006

But I hate to admit that I saw an overabundance of lousy attitudes in that OR. Catty/flippant remarks, making fun of sedated patients (even one of the doctors was getting in on the "fun"...it really turned me off and I will never go to that doctor). There was one surgical tech who was so snotty I wanted to slap her.

But then again, that can be in any dept. too.

irish_std/n · Feb 12, 2006

4) Not meaning this to sound harsh, but you may have thought they wanted to do some teaching, but really, they aren't obligated to, and if you're one of the 43 that have been in that room that day, the nurses might be a little burntout on teaching.

I don't know how it is in the US but over here in Ireland it is a requirement,as part of the official nurses registration ,for staff nurses to teach students. Someone taught you once! so mabye you should think back to the days when you didn't know as much as you do now, and perhaps pass on a bit of that knowledge to the next gerneration of nurses.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Feb 13, 2006

I don't know how it is in the US but over here in Ireland it is a requirement,as part of the official nurses registration ,for staff nurses to teach students. Someone taught you once! so mabye you should think back to the days when you didn't know as much as you do now, and perhaps pass on a bit of that knowledge to the next gerneration of nurses.

No reason to attack me, i never said i didn't teach. :rolleyes: