Pigeon holed?

[mooneyes65]

Do you feel that OR nurses are pigeon holed with very few 'career' choices after leaving the OR? Can you leave the OR and do floor nursing, ICU, etc?? This was talked about at work and I saw a reference to 'going back' if they didnt like the OR here.

Thanks

R.

[kayla123]

I worked PACU then went to same day. Trust me, you do not want to go back to the floors.

[SandraCVRN]

I think it would depend on how long they had been in the OR and if they had any other experience prior to the OR. For myself I did 2 years on an Ortho/Medical unit and have been in the OR for almost 3 years. I think I could go back to the floor if needed, but there are many that I work with that have been in the OR for eons, don't think some of them could do floor nursing.

[IsseyM]

Do you feel that OR nurses are pigeon holed with very few 'career' choices after leaving the OR? Can you leave the OR and do floor nursing, ICU, etc?? This was talked about at work and I saw a reference to 'going back' if they didnt like the OR here.

Thanks

R.

I'm curious to see the responses because i don't think i'm going to stay in the OR forever. I do want to try other things. It would be difficult because i started in the OR straight out of nursing school and feel alot of my med/surg skills are slowly being forgotten. I don't like floor nursing at all so i won't be going into that.

[OR male nurse]

I'm curious to see the responses because i don't think i'm going to stay in the OR forever. I do want to try other things. It would be difficult because i started in the OR straight out of nursing school and feel alot of my med/surg skills are slowly being forgotten. I don't like floor nursing at all so i won't be going into that.

Been in the OR for over 3 1/2 years since nursing school also. Starting to get tired of C-sections, knee and shoulder scopes and carpal tunnels. As with you, I'd never go to the med/surg floor either. When I go to lunch with some of the RN's that work on the floor, all I hear is complaining. I thought I had it bad in the OR. Anyway, I've got my eye on a couple of jobs. One is in a private pain management clinic and the other is working in a dermatology clinic. Both are upscale brand new facilities where they rake in major bucks. No call, no weekends, no jerk surgeons telling you how great they are and how bad the hospital and staff is.

[GadgetRN71, ASN, RN]

I also would never go to the floors..I think when or if I get bored with the OR, I'll pursue a Nurse Practitioner degree.

I have known nurses who worked in the OR for years and then went to the ER or PACU.

[brewerpaul]

Why would anyone want to work anywhere else? :D