OR Nurse or Surgical Tech

[healthlady]

Any scrub nurses that transitioned from ST or even the other way around?

I'm not into bedside care but recently been searching up specialized nursing in surgery and found a few insights. A lot talked about transitioning freely to other departments but I'm not interested in other departments other than surgery. Also, pay is a big factor that I read but I honestly don't care about that, I just want to work in the OR. Anyone gone to CSN or UNLV for nursing? I was wondering how the med/surg rotations are and if it really helped you for the OR.

[WhoDatWhoDare, BSN, RN]

I did not transition from CST to Nurse in my journey to the OR. I only went to nursing school, so I can't provide the insight you seem to be looking for. I will say that nursing school, at least in my experience, did not prepare or help me with the OR. Sure, there are some aspects of nursing care that are common among the different disciplines, but the OR is a specialty that requires learning darn near everything once you are there. My hospital does Peri-Op 101, a structured training program purchased from the AORN, combined with OJT.

[tjjox]

I was a surf tech for many years and went to nursing school...grad in 2010. I miss scrubbing all the time. But I will tell you that being a scrub tech is a lot more physically demanding than the OR nurse side of it. I like Being a nurse, but it's quite different. Sometime I'm still used in the scrub role, but most facilities have gotten away from RN's scrubbing. Med-surg doesn't compare at all to the OR, but it does let you see what happens to your patients after they leave you. If you look at long term I would suggest nursing with some floor nursing first, then to the OR...this is just because later in your career that exp you get on the floor is price,

less!! Good luck.

[tjjox]

Ha...not surf tech, surg tech.