Overwhelming job! Oh my gosh!

GadgetRN71, ASN, RN · Jul 21, 2009

A 12 week orientation is by no means long enough..not saying that you won't be fine in a room alone, but there should still be someone you can go to for support. The AORN recommendation is 6 to 9 months, BTW.

There are many maladjusted personalities in the OR, but I like my job so I don't care anymore what people say, if I'm liked etc. The trick is to have a rich personal life so you don't begin to think of your OR as your be all and end all.

I agree that you should try to stick it out for as long as you can and then look for another job. No place is perfect, obviously. But it concerns me that they're only giving you 12 weeks to orient. I was a surg tech for years and I still got a 7 month orientation(I took rooms by myself but didn't start taking call until the end).

This is your career-you need to look after yourself. Good luck.:nuke:

surgnurse2006 · Jul 25, 2009

You should get no less than 6 months orientation in my opinion,with a little scrub action thrown in as well. Have you talked to your supervisor and told her how you feel? Maybe she would be willing to give you a longer time frame to feel more comfortable. It takes a long time to become totally comfortable in an OR setting. Sometimes the OR staff is known for eating their young. You have to develop a tough skin to work in this environment. You don't have to change who you are or your personality just how some things bother you. Do not take things personally! That is a big mistake. If you don't feel comfortable you need to tell someone preferably your OR manager. People will respect you for telling

someone rather than just acting like you know what's going on. That will just cause more problems with your peers in the long run. Good Luck!!

newname · Jul 30, 2009

I understand you completelly. I'm an OR nurse, I love my job but I believe almost EVERYONE has to go through those gossip, weird/crazy personalities...You have to be strong inside,don't let them make you down. They all started at your level.

Also, it takes two years to feel comfortable to be an OR nurse, takes five years to be an excellent OR nurse. 12 weeks is really short. I suggest you to explore your OR supply room, ask a nice,experienced nurse whenever you have any question, have a working diary and update it everyday, write everything you've learned,review it once a week. you will feel more and more comfortable and confident.

It must be a big teaching hospital,14 rooms. Get enough experience (one year at least),then you can choose any hospital as you want.

...ESL nusre, sorry about my English.:p:p

henry01 · Aug 7, 2009

12 weeks? that's it? That is just crazy talk.

Regarding the personalities....just don't become one! You work with them....but you don't have to take them home and they are not coming over for dinner! So - suck it up....stick up for you...and don't get caught up in the drama...and never...EVER...go to happy hour with them! ;-)

BAMARN09 · Aug 7, 2009

LOL..."General Hospital"... you are so right, and to think that people think that kind of drama only exsist on TV!

You know what is so crazy to me...we as nurses are suppose to be caring, yet SOMETIMES we can allow ourselves to be so mean! I know that the "work" itself is stressful enough you shouldn't have to deal with rude co-workers on top of that! If you don't feel comfortable with the orientation period, I would either talk to your director or get the heck outta dodge...you worked too hard to get where you are. If you decide to stick it out, just keep reminding yourself why you are there ...(I have had to do this myself...so I know where you are coming from) just think of it this way...IF you think that they already think you are "stupid" or aren't picking things up as quick as THEY think you should, then what do have to lose now? They already are thinking it so just continue to pray (or whatever makes you feel more at peace) and go to work, give it your all and when you feel like you have it together THEN go somewhere else and get a fresh start...that way you aren't leaving one hospital while you still don't feel comfortable with your skills and going to another hospital and risking being in the same situation! Good Luck to you...and I will pray for you! Just remember practice makes perfect...I don't know of many nurses that came right out of school graduated experts!

inspir8tion · Aug 8, 2009

I love my patients and all my surgeons. The problem I have is with my co-workers. I am still relatively new to the OR (2 years), so I am still gung ho. I strive to do my job in an excellent way. This pays off with the co-workers that have the same work ethic as I do; however, the lazy people HATE me. And there are far more of them than not. So, I literally feel like I am walking through quicksand when I am with them. They are mean, gossipy and belittling. I always get the hardest cases, which I do not mind at all except when I need something and no one is around to help me because they are off in the lounge gossiping about somebody. BTW this goes all the way up to the director.

I left my last hospital because I did not feel their professional standards were in line with mine, just to go to a hospital that is far worse. I have changed my status from staff to per diem and I find that it is excruciating just going in the two to three days a week I am working. I have feelers out for another job - am hoping to get into a surgical center that has hard-working, respectful people.

brooklynOR · Aug 17, 2009

i was just hired as an OR nurse after a floor nurse for 2 years. I thought i was interview for a critical care position but it ended up with an OR position by accident...and they hired me..but i didnt know if i really wanted to do Or id idnt know if i will like it or not..should I try it out? i was on a cardiacthoaraic floor andwe also have astep down unit too...do u think i will fit in to thr OR? anyone?

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Aug 18, 2009

12 weeks is nowhere near an appropriate length for orientation.

Jeff RN · Aug 24, 2009

Well, I've read some of the threads here, and I can relate to many of them!
I have been an RN in the OR since April. It's a 14-room OR, and it's very busy. The thing is, I like to work of the OR, but I feel like a complete moron most of the day! LOL! I mean, I have worked in several different jobs -- from television production, to teaching high school, to a statewide public relations office... and I have NEVER had a job make me feel like such an idiot as the OR does! I do like the "work" of the OR, and I love patients, but I am completely overwhelmed with the learning curve... "where" things are... the different (and sometimes scary) personalities of the docs (AND some of the other coworkers, for that matter!!).
Anyway, I am about to be off orientation (which I think is crazy ... we only get a 12-week orientation!!)... and I cannot believe I am about to be thrown in a room ... ALONE... !!! I do feel that I have improved week-to-week, but I feel I am still pretty weak in the area of knowing "where" everything is, you know? Seriously, if I knew WHERE everything was and WHAT things looked like, etc., I think I'd be sailing pretty smoothly. I just wonder when this'll ever happen... or if it'll happen.
I also feel overwhelmed with being thrown into so many different types of cases... one day in "general"... the next in a total knee... the next in a CABG... and then the next in a LAVH... it's like spinning in circles to me.
And, I don't know if all OR's are like this... but there's so much gossip and mean spirits up there in the OR, I just can't believe it. I know I cannot work with most of those people for more than a year or two. It's like "General Hospital"... tons of drama and people calling other people horrible names behind their back. And I overhear people saying that so-and-so is "an idiot"... so I'm sure I am called that and probably worse behind my back. I can't stand drama!
Anyway, I am thinking I want to gain some experience in this OR (as painful as it may be for a while)... and then move on to a smaller place, maybe an outpatient place with more family-friendly hours... So I am hanging on and praying all the time.
Does anyone have any advice? I am starting to have knots in my stomach concerning my job, and I don't want to live that way. I like the OR and the patients, but I am generally scared each day and also aggravated with the gossip and drama. And on top of that is the fear of failure there. A girl I graduated with was recently fired because they said she just couldn't "get it" and the OR just "wasn't for her." That is so scary to me!
Any words of wisdom are welcome. Thanks.
Allie

That seems like a bad situation. Most ORs tend to be more specialized with their nurses. You certainly wouldn't normally see an new nurse doing totals and cabgs regularly. That is an unfair situation. The reason to be more specialized is to become extremely efficient. Another thing is that orientation usually requires 2+ weeks in general, 2+weeks in ortho etc. And that type of orientation is for an experienced nurse. Your OR does not seem to have a good teaching program. If you can survive you will be a very solid OR nurse, extremely flexible!

truejewel82 · Aug 29, 2009

Wow orientation only 12 weeks??? that's insane. And not to mention not too safe. Are you scrubbing and circulating? ooffff....I can see why that would be very stressful. First of all whoever is the clinical educator in that place needs some orienting as well. 12 weeks needs to be more like 12 months depending on how many services you do. You should not move from General to Ortho from day to day you need to spend some time in each service or your brain will not process anything. Things will just be confusing.

My advice to you is to take VERY detailed notes and go over each procedure carefully and each time you have exposure you will be able to add to your notes. That's how we all survive in the OR being rotated around 11 services. But we also each get a minimum or 6 months to 1 year on orientation. Make surgeons preference cards. From what instrument sets will need for that particular case to the meds and sutures and any extra's necessary items to bring into the room so you are prepared for the case and don't have to go crazy.

As far as the drama is concerned you will get that everywhere you go. It's sort of comes with the nursing package, often times we don't support eachother like we should. But try to be a beacon of light in a place that breeds dark energy, if you don't like drama don't get into it with anyone and NEVER say any thing that could bite you in the back (ie: tell a coworker something another one did to you...ect ect) Sometimes we can't help it, I'm guilty of it at times but I seriously can't stand drama either so I try not to get involved in any of those negative conversations instead try to put people in their best light and go about doing my business. I"m there to work and be there for my patient at the end of the day after all.

Best of luck!

Summers97 · Sep 1, 2009

The OR demands a strong personality and a confidence in your own worth. As with all nursing we tend to eat our young. I agree with the other posters that 12 weeks is unreasonable to learn all that is needed to run a room alone. There will always be the back biting and gossiping but as I tell people all the time " Good thing my self-esteem does not depend on your opinion". Keep working hard and absorb all you can. Good Luck