Would like your opinion

heartholder · Sep 19, 2002

I went straight to the OR out of nursing school. and I don't regret it one bit. but you do lose skills being an OR nurse. I don't do IV's but I think I could with a little practice. I love the OR, and I know I don't ever want to work on the floor. I might consider the units or ER. I feel the best way you can be happy is to do what YOU want to do. Remember opinions are like noses, everyone has one and they all are different.

Shevalove · Sep 20, 2002

Hi Heartholder..I just had a question for you. Di d you go thru a long internship? I went on an interview today and the nurse seemed very honest about the internship, but she made it sound awful! That I would end up crying a lot and and that I need to learn to be screamed at and take. Was your internship that awful or should I run the other way?

shodobe · Sep 21, 2002

If you go back thru the previous posts you will find quite a few opinions on this subject. I think you will find them quite informative since the opinion is far ranged. I only had one problem during my so called internship and that was two of the nurses training me wanted to get rid of me. The reason was I wouldn't smootch with them in the cysto room like the guy I had just replaced. I wife frowns on this kind of behavior. Good luck with your decision. Mike

PS, my internship was 25 years ago! God I feel old!

AZBOUND-ORNURSE · Sep 21, 2002

Hi to all, only my second post here. Love the site. Anyway, I have been in the OR for about 6 yrs. I started first as a Surgical Tech then a RN. After I graduated from nursing school, I left the OR to work on a Telemetry unit (I only intended to be there 1 yr I knew the OR was the only place I wanted to be). Well as I wrote, I stayed for that year. During that year I also worked casual at another hospital in their OR to get some experience. I have since been in the OR and love it. I have to say, I learned ALOT leaving the OR and recommend doing the same to anyone first time out of nursing school for some experience.

Good luck in your decision, StillaStudent!!

heartholder · Sep 21, 2002

Shevalove, I had a 6 month orientation in the OR. I ended up being mostly a gofer. I felt my orientation lack a lot of basics. That education coorandator is now retired. After my 6 months I was "able to take call". The only good thing was that I was on day shift with a lot of good people to teach me and with time, I gained the confidence and knowledge needed. It took me a good 2 years before I felt like an OR nurse. I also took alot of extra call on the weekends to gain the knowledge of how to work without the support people that are there thru the week. I did everything I could to learn as much as possible. My orientation also included scrubbing. I really enjoyed that and now the nurses don't get that in their orientation. You do need a strong personality to survive in the OR. But I love it and wouldn't do anything else at the present time. It is a different culture. The surgeons like the OR nurses at my hospital and respect their opinions.

I hope this helps.

Joy

Shevalove · Sep 22, 2002

Thanks Joy,

I don't know!?!. I am going in to shadow next Friday. I don't know if I should even bother now. I do want to work in the OR, but I am not what you would call a strog person. I take things too personally. I do not want to waste anyones time, mine or the hospitals, by accepting the position and then not being able to handle the stress. I guess I pretty much answered my own question on whether or not I could do it huh?