OR Nurses HELP !!!!!

Nurses General Nursing

Published

I have recently started working in the OR. I love the work, but hate most of the surgeons! Why do most of them have to be such JERKS!!!! :argue: I understand for the most part there is a large amount of trust involved in being part of the OR staff. ( Between the DR and OR team) But for crying out loud where is the mutual respect, I'm no dummy just new to the OR, really feeling like a teenager being hazed. Does this get better? Holding my breath.:banghead:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in US Army.

It does. Most surgeon don't like changes in their routine, and a new staff member is a change... Once they figure out that you are indeed competent and capable, they will back off.

I always say, a good day is a day where I don't get kicked out of a room... :D So, if a surgeon says something smart to me, I tend to quickly come back with an even smarter comeback. That usually either shuts them up, or it totally breaks the ice and we tend to joke around from that point on.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

Some of my best days have been when I was kicked out of the room!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
It does. Most surgeon don't like changes in their routine, and a new staff member is a change... Once they figure out that you are indeed competent and capable, they will back off.

I have found this with cardiologists as well. As soon as they know you are competent, they begin to trust you.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

From my experience surgeons have much more respect for assertive nurses, than the ones who try and satisfy their every whim.

'I always say, a good day is a day where I don't get kicked out of a room...'

What! A surgeon kicks a nurse out of the OR? I'd love to see them try that where I work. It's more the nurses OR than the surgeon. We clean it after cases, we restock the supplies, we organise the equipment, we set up before cases NOT the surgeons. Unless they want to participate in maintaining the OR I'm not going anywhere!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in US Army.

Don't take it too literally. It's just a little work place humor...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
From my experience surgeons have much more respect for assertive nurses, than the ones who try and satisfy their every whim.

'I always say, a good day is a day where I don't get kicked out of a room...'

What! A surgeon kicks a nurse out of the OR? I'd love to see them try that where I work. It's more the nurses OR than the surgeon. We clean it after cases, we restock the supplies, we organise the equipment, we set up before cases NOT the surgeons. Unless they want to participate in maintaining the OR I'm not going anywhere!

And why are we using registered nurses to "clean up, restock and organize equipment"?Aren't nurses supposed to be taking care of patients?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
And why are we using registered nurses to "clean up, restock and organize equipment"?Aren't nurses supposed to be taking care of patients?

Subee- just out of curiosity are you an OR nurse? OR nursing is very different in that we don't spend an entire shift taking care of the same patient (most of the time). Part of caring for each patient is ensuring that the proper equipment is available for the case. Not all cases use the same types of equipment/supplies. My first case could be an ortho procedure, meaning I need cementing supplies, tourniquets, etc., and then my next case could be a lap chole, and I need the video equipment. Not all of those things live in the room, they travel from case to case as they're needed. Believe me, if we had every type of supply/equipment in each room for each type of case, there'd be no room for staff or patient.

We do have ORAs who are responsible for taking out trash/cleaning the room, but none of them know what equipment is needed for each case.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.

We do have ORAs who are responsible for taking out trash/cleaning the room, but none of them know what equipment is needed for each case.

We don't have them either. We have to take out all the rubbish, clean the room between cases and at the end of the day, we don't have any orderlies for collecting patients from reception and help in positioning. BUT we usually have two scout nurses, most other places only have the one scout.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
Subee- just out of curiosity are you an OR nurse? OR nursing is very different in that we don't spend an entire shift taking care of the same patient (most of the time). Part of caring for each patient is ensuring that the proper equipment is available for the case. Not all cases use the same types of equipment/supplies. My first case could be an ortho procedure, meaning I need cementing supplies, tourniquets, etc., and then my next case could be a lap chole, and I need the video equipment. Not all of those things live in the room, they travel from case to case as they're needed. Believe me, if we had every type of supply/equipment in each room for each type of case, there'd be no room for staff or patient.

We do have ORAs who are responsible for taking out trash/cleaning the room, but none of them know what equipment is needed for each case.

25 years in the OR. Still don't why we'e using RN's in the OR to set up equipment. Didn't go to school to roll video monitors around or hand instruments over.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Operating Room Nursing.
25 years in the OR. Still don't why we'e using RN's in the OR to set up equipment. Didn't go to school to roll video monitors around or hand instruments over.

They don't want to hire anyone else to do it so they just put the work onto us, as though we don't have enough to do.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment