RacheloneRN

Hearing yall mention a 10 minute prep is shocking. I could only imagine the crap I would get from my surgeons if I prepped for 10 minutes, I feel rushed while using chloraprep sometimes, and these docs have low infection rates. For total joints, with Chloraprep in our facility, we do 30 strokes at the incision site (the knee for example), then continue the rest of the extremity, continuing down the leg, then the foot. Once the foot is prepped, we raise it, crack a new prep, start back at the incision site, and get the front and back of the leg with the 2nd stick. I don't think I would be able to hold most patients legs for 10 minutes...

In our OR if someone is asked to stay late or come in on their day off and they are not on call, they are paid a Critical Shift Diff... which I believe is time and a half.

We have a few nurses in our facility in TX that wear scrub skirts. They are provided and laundered by the hospital, as are the rest of our scrubs, and the ladies wear thick pantyhose under their skirts.

I wear hats from SparklingEarth.com, they have a terrycloth band around the hairline and I've never had any breakage, they're comfortable too! Good luck, I hope you find a good solution.

Our facility also charges us PTO for "holidays." I think it sucks, but I guess you just have to factor holidays into your PTO when considering using it. I'm glad to hear we aren't the only ones.

Hey Yall, This is kind of a vent, but also any tips would be appreciated. I'm a new RN, 6 mos working OR and this week I had my first code. I am still being precepted, and have not experienced a code in any area of nursing. This week I was spending this week in a hospital that I had never been in that is connected to my facility, it was only my second day there. I had no idea what to do, I couldn't be a runner because I don't know where anything is. I wanted so badly to be able to help somehow, and didn't know if it would have just be best if I left the room or stayed. Because I was in a large OR with only 1 set-up and plenty of room I stayed in the room and observed, knowing there will most likely be a code once I'm on my own (which will be very soon) and I know that I needed to have seen what goes on. This having been my first code, I was upset by it, and I thought that I had controlled my emotions well considering, but I have had several people ask me in the last couple days if I was OK. I am now not sure that staying in the room was the correct thing to do. I know I was not in anyone's way, I did contribute a bit by running for a couple things and answering the phone. I think that people asking how I was were sincerely concerned about me because I am such a new nurse. But I can't help but be insecure and worry that maybe I should have just left the room. I have spoken with a few people who were involved, including the circulator I was with that day, who told me that I was more of a help than I thought, but I just have a nagging feeling that maybe I didn't do the right thing. I am still pretty shaken up over it. It was a very basic procedure that I have seen done in office under local, and the patient was young. ACLS lasted 40 minutes and the patient was defibrilated over 15 times. Speaking with the CRNA for the case the next day, he said it was a good example of how a code should be run. I have never seen such teamwork. They were finally able to restore a pulse and she was taken to ICU. If anyone has thoughts on what they would want someone they were precepting to do in a similar situation, please let me know, I have a habit of beating myself up for things and just want to know if I did the right thing. Thanks for listening.

region - north texas level 1 trauma, not-for profit, private # of or's - 47 $$ for being on call only - 2 specialty get extra?? - not sure good luck, i hope you are successful.

We had to wear Landau for school - I found them uncomfortable in the thigh area - I was so happy to never have to wear Landau anymore!!

Have you considered school nursing? The OR (at least at my facility) offers 8 hour shifts - but not a normal 9-5... We start at 0630-1500. Good luck in the job hunt. Congrats on passing your boards.

Haha I couldn't agree more! I'm a new OR nurse and one of my first abdominal preps I was so grossed out by what I dug out of this clean looking patient's belly button. It is also interesting to find unexpected tattoos on patients (not that I can say anything because I have one of my own on my hip that few people know about....)

187. You were so excited when you passed your boards because you could go change your username to usernameRN.

I'm also a new OR nurse, and in our facility we do not test the balloons on our foleys. The rationale at our facility though is because the manufacturer instructed us that it is not necesary as the foleys are pretested prior to shipment. You may want to check if that is the reason your facility does not test the balloon. I am not sure what they do on the floor though, I only know the OR policy. Our facility does take foley safety pretty seriously though - they have a new policy that Residents cannot start foleys in the OR because of poor technique.

So I decided to try out danskos, hopefully my feet will thank me more than my bank account did... Thanks for the tip about the pants, but I'm only 5'0" - I don't think any pair of pants has ever looked liked high-waters on me...lol... I'll let y'all know how the danskos go - I've heard they take some getting used to.

I'm a new OR intern too, I am also the type of person who is too hard on myself. The OR is a totally different type of place. I see nurses come who have been in the OR for 10 years come in with the wrong things all the time too. I think one of the big differences between a new and an experienced OR nurse is that the new nurses are timid and afraid to make mistakes, and experienced nurses are able to quickly correct their mistakes. I don't know if this was any help, but as a new OR nurse, I understand how you feel, I think if you don't feel comfortable alone, you should ask to have a preceptor for a little longer, until you feel you can safely practice alone. Good luck.

I PASSED!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm an RN! Thanks for your support!! I think that was the hardest couple days ever! Thank God Texas is a quick result state!!!