AORN1994

Disclaimer- I am speaking entirely within the scope of my hospital. I work in a level 1 trauma center with over 50 ORs. We have a pediatric OR, cancer OR, ambulatory, and trauma OR. I work in the main OR (we take everything and are the only one to operate 24/7). Our hallways also contain the CVOR. I have worked in a few cases in the CVOR, but I tend to be in thoracic cases. Go with your gut. However, if this was me, knowing what I know as an OR nurse, I would take the second option. Learn as much as you can. You will be more marketable in the future and you can always move on to learn the CVOR. Once you rotate through all of the specialities, you can figure out what you like and see if you want to be in the CVOR. CVOR nurses that I work with often complain because they get thrown into other services when we are short staffed. Their biggest complaint - "everyone expects a cardiac nurse to do everything." This isn't the case for a lot of CVOR nurses who don't get experience in general, ortho, etc. A lot of nurses come into the OR thinking they want to end up in one service but end up hating it, or loving something else entirely I entered with the passion for the CVOR, but I find my days are significantly more enjoyable in general and plastics cases. To each their own. HOWEVER, if you're passionate about cardiac - take that job. If you aren't sure what you're passionate about, take the second job and take the time to explore. It's hard, but it's a lot of fun!

Congratulations!! Honestly, don't worry about anything until you start. The OR is a tough place to learn in so it's best not to stress yourself out before hand. You will learn on the job. No one expects a new graduate in the OR to be knowledgeable about anything, and that is OK. Ask questions, even if they seem stupid. If you don't know what something is, just ask. People will be extremely receptive to you, and others will be extremely mean about it. Take everything with a grain of salt. I began as a periop nurse right out of school as well. I agree with the last poster - be prepared to take criticism! There are a lot of "type A" personalities in the OR and it can be a hard place to learn because the seasoned nurses are used to running rooms their way. Some nurses are EXCELLENT preceptors. Cherish the ones who really make you work. Ask to be with the nurses who seemingly throw you to the sharks. Although we all learn differently, I find that's the best way to learn in the OR. Simply watching won't cut it. The first time a nurse had me run the room on my own while she went for coffee was terrifying, but I learned more in those few hours than I did within weeks of shadowing. That being said, some nurses are not meant to be preceptors. They will criticize you, haze you, and make you feel like any small deficit is a major flaw in your nursing ability. Do not listen to it. Honestly, I found that a lot of the heat I took was from surgical techs and nurses, not the surgeons or residents that everyone warns you about. You will do great!! Just remember - it's a different type of nursing. Cut yourself a lot of slack, and don't take anything personally. A lot of people were tough when I started, but as you become more experienced and confident, you learn not to pay attention to it. This stuff isn't taught in school, and it could take months or even more than a year to become comfortable working independently. Just take your time, and try to learn at least one new thing every day. I always tell new nurses that if they can go home at the end of the day and say they learned just one thing (from the names of instruments, to how to set up a certain piece of equipment), they are going to be successful. This takes time. Best of luck to you!! PS - You may even take heat for being a new nurse in the OR. People often gave me criticism because I didn't "pay my dues" in med-surg. This is an older mentality of nursing that isn't relevant anymore. I see nurses come from school who pick up on the OR patterns faster than any seasoned nurses (and I only started a few months ago - talk about your high turnover rates). It just depends on your ability to adapt to new situations, deal with people, and willingness to learn.

Hello everyone! This is my first time using a nursing forum but I am in need of some advice! I am a new graduate and I have just started my first job in the OR. I'm lucky to have a job, and I am blessed with great coworkers and management team. Although I've only been in the OR for a short period of time (I'm still orienting), I feel like I'm losing all of my assessment and clinical skills. I did my senior internship in a cardiovascular ICU and I find myself missing that environment so much. I miss the challenges and constant stimulation. The OR presents entirely different challenges and a unique learning curve. I have so much respect for my coworkers who have a passion for the perioperative environment. I thought I wanted this route based on my nursing school experiences but I think it's not a good fit for me. Has anyone experienced a similar feeling of wanting to jump ship so soon into their first nursing job? Do I bite the bullet for a few years (and risk losing more clinical skills?) or do I try to switch into the ICU residency program? The hospital I'm at also offered me a job in their ICU that I turned down at the excitement of new challenges in the OR. Silly me!