Outpatient vs Peds OR for a New Grad

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2 OR positions with the same: Hospital, Orientation length/structure (6-8 months) & hourly pay.

As a new grad, I am looking for a place that will foster the greatest learning opportunities. I am up for the challenge and want to learn it all! Fortunately, it is a teaching hospital and also the only trauma I center in the metropolitan area.

Each unit has their own selling points, just looking for some insight here.

O/P OR

Operate M-F DAYS (option of 8, 10, 12 hr)

No nights, weekends, holidays, call

Pediatric OR

Multiple specialties

call is self-scheduled ($$ time½)

Non-nursing friends/family are suggesting O/P because of the M-F day schedule. And I'll admit, that consistency does sound nice. But I know that that time ½ money can be an added blessing...especially with student loans and re-establishing my finances.

I don't have kids, I'm not married, and live very close to each facility.

Being that Pediatric OR is a double specialty in a sense.. would this experience help/harm transition to adult OR in the future?

Can an O/P nurse easily transition to Hospital OR?

Which position would you suggest I start my career in?

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Pediatrics main OR. No question.

You will be able to transition way easier to main OR or OP OR from pedi main... from OP to main is a harder transition.

You learn basic surgery cases in OP. You learn them all in the main OR. Remember that peds will cover teens too.... surgically they are gonna be adults basically....

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Thank you for the reply Argo! Great point about teen patients in peds, I hadn't considered that angle.

I ended up taking the O/P position. The deal was sweetened when they asked if I'd like to float to the surgical hospital OR as well. Best of both!!

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