ortho/neuro GN

[tx2007]

I have been offered a position at a local hospital as a GN on the ortho/neuro floor and wanted to see if the info I have recieved sounds like a good place to start my career. I have NEVER done ortho/neuro in school only med/sug, CCU and our maternity/child rotations. This hospital said they would train me for 8-10 weeks and I would do class room work and learn all about PCA's, Stryker's, and observe every surgery for those first 8 weeks before I would be allowed pt care so that I can better understand what the pts are going thru and how to help them. They said day 1 would be just learning IV pumps, day two learning blood transfusions, ect with each day focoused on one thing. After 1 year they would get me Ortho certified?? Does this sound like a resonable orientation to those of you who know ortho??

[november17, ASN, RN]

Hey I just wanted to update that I'm an RN now.

I enjoy the ortho floor, but I'm just hanging in for 8 more months until I can look for other opportunities. Gotta get my year in :)

[pangyaw]

Hi, are you still in Ortho/Neuro unit? I will be starting soon. I need a tips!Thanks.

[suehp]

Hi, are you still in Ortho/Neuro unit? I will be starting soon. I need a tips!Thanks.

Hi, you need to get your running shoes on...it can get VERy busy on Ortho - you will need to learn what each surgeon likes for each pt (for dressings and stuff)....be prepared to transfuse blood a lot if H&H drops after surgery. Make sure you are fmailiar with narcotics and PCA's. I dont know if your hospital uses epidurals - if they do get familiar with that too....otherwise enjoy. I love Ortho..some days it seems a bit monotonous ut you meet some very nice patients (and of course the not so nice lol) and of course watch out for the confused ones - some narcotics do tend to make the older generation go a bit loopy sometimes .... )

[pangyaw]

Thanks SueIP, anything else u need to share, I'll be happy:nurse:. God Bless U!

[rashan1053]

Hello,

I too am a new grad on a ortho/neuro floor. Your orientation sounds great. I cried every night after work for the first two weeks, but things are much better for me. I really like ortho. Neuro scares me a bit, because of how quickly they can take a turn for the worse. It also took me some time to get use to doing the neuro checks. In school we didn't do a complete neuro neuro check with EOM's, facial symm, etc. I made myself a check sheet to make sure I don't miss any assessments. It is really great that they let you see the surgeries too. Good luck to you!!!:)

[RN and Mommy]

i think it sounds like great orientation. i wish that i could see the actual surgeries that the patients get done. it would be nice to be able to say, "well, during surgery they position you in this position, so that may be why..." i don't know. it sounds really great though. good luck with your position. i am an rn and have only worked ortho/neuro. i love it! i have learned so much in the past 2 years as an rn there!

[Ciesta]

Hello, my next rotation is in ortho/neuro, any tips for success in this class. thanks

[pangyaw]

For Ortho, just stick to the basic concepts of tractions.

T-rapeze bar overhead is used to raise and lower the upper body

R-equires free-hanging weights

A-nalgesic is given to releive pain

C-heck the pt ciculation (pulse)

T-emp monitoring

I-infection prevention

O-utput and input monitoring

N-nutrition

S-kin must checked frequently

Goodluck to you:nurse: I just finished my 8 weeks training, I will be starting as RN on Ortho/Neuro on the floor tomorrow...hopefully everything went well.

[november17, ASN, RN]

For Ortho, just stick to the basic concepts of tractions.

T-rapeze bar overhead is used to raise and lower the upper body

R-equires free-hanging weights

A-nalgesic is given to releive pain

C-heck the pt ciculation (pulse)

T-emp monitoring

I-infection prevention

O-utput and input monitoring

N-nutrition

S-kin must checked frequently

Goodluck to you:nurse: I just finished my 8 weeks training, I will be starting as RN on Ortho/Neuro on the floor tomorrow...hopefully everything went well.

Don't forget for neuro (lamis, discectomies, etc), good god get rid of that trapeze bar!!

It's funny...I am going to be precepting someone starting next monday. Kind of funny how things have progressed in the past year.

Also, a good tip to tell people when in bed watching TV at night. Tell them whenever a commercial comes on, grab the trapeze and move their butts around a little bit. Especially if they're in a CPM for long periods of time. Also if you have people complaining about their bottoms/hips/back hurting, encourage them to move just an inch or two utilizing the trapeze (make them do the work!!). Sometimes even repositioning an inch into a different alignment can work wonders for post-op pain.