tg2125

@Anne Grello Is 100 percent correct! I am primarily and Orthopedic operating room nurse in a huge level one trauma OR and I can say for a fact that knowing orthopedics makes you the best Operating room and surgical tech/ scrub nurse as well. When ever I meet an experienced OR nurse or surgical tech and ask them what was the hardest specialty to learn they mostly always say ortho. We have the biggest set ups next to neuro and cardiac but have for more of an abundance of cases, positioning, instrumentation and equipment that we have to know. I also feel like scrubbing ortho requires you to actual know the procedure more compared to scrubbing other services. The surgeons expect you to know the steps and even if there is a rep in the room, having no understanding will always leave you multiple steps behind in the case. From total joints to spine, to ortho trauma, to hand, to sports its non stop learning. Knowing ortho makes you more marketable and also allows you to learn neuro surgery easier since half of neuro surgery is spine cases similar to ortho spine in many ways. I will save though try to learn a little of every service because that knowledge and experience makes you a more confident nurse in the OR. General, vascular, gyn have big complex cases as well! Circulating/scrubbing in any of those cases when the *** hits the fan isn't easy, as all the other services in the OR have far sicker patients compared to your common ortho patient.

Thank you Rose_queen. Yes the OR is a different type of nursing but I too know OR nurses that transitioned to more “traditional” nursing. It’s all about the support from the unit and the determination of that nurse to learn.

Listen the OR will not really help you at all going into the ICU if you start in the OR then go ICU but I had a colleague who was an OR nurse mainly specialized in Ortho/ortho trauma that later went to the CTICU and killed it and is now an SRNA he told me straight up that coming that the only nurses that start out ahead in the CTICU are the tele nurses (which makes sense) OR, med surg, etc all have a rough learning curve, Which is the same as any nurse coming into the OR ( the only people who transition easy into OR nursing are Scrub techs). One thing the OR will do in the ICU is that the nature of OR nursing makes you very meticulous (like ICU nursing) and makes you move and get things fast as well as preparing yourself beforehand so you're not flustered. Im sure the ICU has things like that which would probably help in the OR but starting in the ICU would not make the learning curve of the OR easier. Don't take advice from a CRNA they are GREAT at what they do and were GREAT ICU nurses but they don't know that much of terms of being able to circulate and KNOW NOTHING in terms of being able to scrub especially the more specialized ortho, neuro, and cardiac services. In my opinion start in the ICU if you get the offer. Thats only because of a lot (not all) nurses in general are ignorant to what OR nurses can do and do. With a lot of nurses being ignorant to our job they might look at an OR nurse as not good enough to become an ICU nurse if you want to make the switch early on from OR to ICU. wishing you the best of luck!

I was in a similar situation but with the goal of becoming a CRNA. I am about 6 months into my new grad OR nurse residency at a level 1 trauma with a specialization in orthopedics and orthopedic trauma but being trained in almost every service but Cardiac. I'll tell you this I felt the same exact way until a started scrubbing in on gyn and general cases I LOVE SCRUBBING THOSE CASES it got to the point where I was considering NP with a first assist vs CRNA. I am now just learning ortho and orthopedic trauma and its way more work in terms of trays instrumentation and loaner systems and SPEED of the cases but I am getting better at scrubbing them and I like it, I lover learning the steps to the surgeries and having what the doc needs without them having to ask (the take note of that trust me). I feel like all programs should start with scrubbing first to see if the OR is really for you. There are days were im like damn I wish I was a CRNA but there are days where im like I like surgery more. We are new to nursing so the grass will always seem greener bro. there are times in the ICU where the patients are always sedated so verbal interaction is limited too remember that. You can still got FNP as a OR nurse I would argue that you have an advantage in terms of hiring if your good and the residents and docs see that. I know of a nurse that was great in GYN surgery and she is now hired from a resident that she knew since that resident was in their first year. Stick it out for a year and half so you can legit be an functional OR nurse and then think about ICU. Thats my plan 2 years in the OR and then ICU because you're not really an OR nurse after 6 months it takes a year in the OR to actually be a real competent level 1 trauma OR nurse and employers know that.

you are right and that is true but I am talking about working for the surgeon not the hospital. There is a difference, tbh I rather work for a surgeon than a hospital system theirs a higher ceiling of what you can do and you're income. the ACNP doesnt really help you during intraop it serves more purpose pre and post op if the patient is critical. For example you can be a FNP and work in an a plastic surgeon outpatient and do just fine if the surgeon doesnt do work on critical patients.

You do not need ACNP to first assist don't listen to people who arent OR nurses. I work in the OR and many of the nurses (that can also scrub) that I work with are getting their FNP and RNFA and working for surgeons they networked with in the OR in which they scrub into surgery on days and work in the office on other days. TBH FNP with RNFA is better than Acute Care NP you work for docs that can pay you at a higher rate vs being a slave to a hospital system forever.

I personally don't think any speciality is better its just the vibe that I get from working in the O.R, throughout school etc. I had a teacher talk down on the OR nursing saying that "what use is a nurse that just passes instruments to a surgeon" I couldnt keep my mouth shut and told her you would freeze up if you were in a trauma case and scrubbed in, I have the upmost respect for my scrub techs and OR nurses and same goes with my medsurg nurses as I could never be able to handle the load they get as well. I don't know if its just me because I been an assistant in the operating room and I talked to perfusionist CRNAs,SRNAs etc before I became an OR nurse and they talk shade about them (not all but a good amount). Thank you!!

some nurses say the ER and ICU would hire a new grad over an OR nurse with 3 years experience which I don't get at all. It's a shame that people think that way, if I knew nursing was this toxic I would of gone to PA or Med school. I overheard PACU (mostly retired ICU nurses) nurses tell me my friend who is a PCA in the PACU not to go to L&D first because its bad for your skills and pigeon hole . In my head I'm like what the hell L&D nurses play so many roles, triaging, circulating in the c section OR , taking care of critical patients giving birth, doing recovery after a c section ,the list goes on and on.

@SilverBells @nursing9462 Thank you guys! How exactly would I be able to get a per diem job on the floor while starting as an OR nurse with not a lot of floor experience. I am interested in it but IDK how that would work with still being full time. I'm not going to lie I truly dislike when people look down on OR nursing calling it "not real nursing" every almost CRNA or ICU nurse tells me that they make it seem like we know nothing. It's alot to learn and I admire my nurses and my surg techs so much they know anatomy and their anticipation is top notch. Every nurse on every unit is important but OR nurses can do a job that most nurses can't do.

Def shadow and build connections. THE OR IS ONE OF THE ONLY UNITS IN THE HOSPITAL THAT TAKES RNs REGARDLESS OF EXPERIENCE. I worked as a nursing assistant/ and now a nurse in the OR for more than 2 years now and have seen this first hand. The OR isn't like the ICU which I have seen to judge nurses heavily based on their past. It's a whole different type of nursing so its foreign to most because nothing in school teaches you it. If you're big into teamwork and don't things personally the OR management will love that. If you have any more questions message me.

Hey guys so I recently applied to both ICUs and OR positions as a new grad. I worked as a nursing assistant in the OR throughout nursing school and I loved the environment. To me it has always been between the ICU or the OR. I didn't get any ICU positions but my OR offered me a position which I accepted as Ortho being my main core. I heard that if you can circulate and scrub Ortho it makes you a very marketable OR nurse especially for travel nursing. However I am still tempted with going the CRNA route I love every aspect and staff position of the OR but I feel like I am young (26 years old) and don't want to be a OR nurse my whole life (nothing against those who were and are OR nurses for their whole career). I am just scared because I have been told over and over again that the OR is career suicide. I know staying maybe 5 plus years can pigeon whole you, but 2-3 years shouldnt. I get depressed sometimes thinking my career is done and the only ladder up is management (even though I know that isn't entirerly true as OR nurses can get their NP and RNFA and in my eyes have an advantage over new grad PAs and nurses fro the floor looking to go the procedural NP route. Even if I did get into the ICU in 2-3 years (which I hope happens) I would still per diem in my OR because I love it and love the team and environment. I just need clarity that new grad OR nurses can transition and have transitioned to the ICU. I also know that I probably should of done med surg for my basic "skills". but also passing up a position for a needed and hard speciality to get into didn't seem like it made much sense to me at the time. Hating medsurg for the skills vs enjoying the OR to me made more sense since I never want to go into a job that involes peoples lives and hate it. But if you have any advice for my future please help. Any good constrictive criticism is good for my growth as a nurse and a person.

You are not lying NYU is not worth it. I worked one day during the week with some doubles 16 hours shifts and that alone had me pressed for time. NYU gives no flexibility with schedule for classes and for clinical. You have no choice of what teacher and what time class you want. You have no choice of what clinical site you want. Imagine paying all that money to possibly be in the same hospital for all 4 semesters, they will never tell you that though LOL. The list can go on and on about this school. The only pro is the rewind option they offer to go back and listen to lectures online and that it is a hard program compared to others test wise so I do feel an edge if I ever go back for my masters over students from other programs based off seeing my friends in other programs.

I graduate this Winter. NYU has its pros being that its extremely difficult compared to other nursing programs test wise (could be a con if you don't perform as well and which to go the CRNA route) but they make it so you have to listen to rewind and do outside reading/studying to succeed. NYU proffessors don't really care about you. There are too many students for them to care. I know a few but not many, There is no hand holding at all. The only thing they hand hold you with are dosage calculation test as they don't go crazy is you fail them.

Reply To This Topic 1 How's it going. I need help determining if I should enter the ICU after graduating this Winter. My sole purpose of becoming an ICU is to become a CRNA (I will obviously not state that in my ICU job interview LOL). However I am worried I will not get into the CRNA school. I currently work at a level 1 trauma as an OR assistant and have shadowed in the MICU multiple times. I have job offers at multiple OR's for OR nurse positions and if CRNA didn't exist I would start in the OR and probably get my NP with a RNFA down the road in a heartbeat. During my first degree I had no idea what I wanted to do in life and my GPA was "so so"" at a 3.44. My first school had a grade scale up to 4.3 for A pluses (in which I had a couple A pluses) that also helped boost that GPA so I am worried that CRNA schools will look at those 4.3 a pluses as just 4.0 A's just dropping my first degree GPA. I am 2 weeks away from finishing my 15 month ABSN program at NYU and will gradate with a 3.68-3.71 depending on my last course grade. I killed both patho and pharm getting an A- minus in patho and a A in pharm which are both my favorite classes that I took throughout my whole career as a student along with A&P. The thing is that I know I have to retake some science classes over from my first degree. I had an A+ in A&P1 B inA&P 2, B- in Microbio, C in Chem 1. I took Chem my freshman year at 19-20 and I know the 26 year old me can take that again and do way better. I also have a great relationship with some anesthesiologist and CRNA's at my job from working in the OR during nursing school and plan on shadowing them right after I finish for a few months while studying for the NCLEX. Overall I think I have a somewhat decent shot based on my work history, nursing GPA, and maybe the name of NYU helping me out (even though a school is a school in my opinion). I know that chem has to be retaken 100 percent and maybe that microbio to go along with a good GRE. But overall what are you guys opinions?!

How's it going. I need help determining if I should enter the ICU after graduating this Winter. My sole purpose of becoming an ICU is to become a CRNA (I will obviously not state that in my ICU job interview LOL). However I am worried I will not get into the CRNA school. I currently work at a level 1 trauma as an OR assistant and have shadowed in the MICU multiple times. I have job offers at multiple OR's for OR nurse positions and if CRNA didn't exist I would start in the OR and probably get my NP with a RNFA down the road in a heartbeat. During my first degree I had no idea what I wanted to do in life and my GPA was "so so"" at a 3.44. My first school had a grade scale up to 4.3 for A pluses (in which I had a couple A pluses) that also helped boost that GPA so I am worried that CRNA schools will look at those 4.3 a pluses as just 4.0 A's just dropping my first degree GPA. I am 2 weeks away from finishing my 15 month ABSN program at NYU and will gradate with a 3.68-3.71 depending on my last course grade. I killed both patho and pharm getting an A- minus in patho and a A in pharm which are both my favorite classes that I took throughout my whole career as a student along with A&P. The thing is that I know I have to retake some science classes over from my first degree. I had an A+ in A&P1 B inA&P 2, B- in Microbio, C in Chem 1. I took Chem my freshman year at 19-20 and I know the 26 year old me can take that again and do way better. I also have a great relationship with some anesthesiologist and CRNA's at my job from working in the OR during nursing school and plan on shadowing them right after I finish for a few months while studying for the NCLEX. Overall I think I have a somewhat decent shot based on my work history, nursing GPA, and maybe the name of NYU helping me out (even though a school is a school in my opinion). I know that chem has to be retaken 100 percent and maybe that microbio to go along with a good GRE. But overall what are you guys opinions?!