MS*OR*RN

I agree that sometimes there are just too many "extra " people in the OR. As an example in my Or the other day and I had to refuse to take a Nursing student, and unfortunate as it was, the student was present to see me refuses to take her. Let me explain what was going on in the room....A thorocotomy in a vascular OR. The surgeon was present, two residents and a med student. Already a very full room... the ST in the room was also precepting a new ST... I was precepting a RN to the circulating role... a very busy room. And we cannot forget to mention the MDA and the CRNA. The patient was very sick ASA 4. My priorities are with my patient first. Teaching is farther down on the list. I love to teach nursing students and nurses that are new to the OR setting, but when there are too many people are in the room, focus can be lost...remember patient first. Part of the rejection the nursing student felt could have been avoided if someone, anyone would have told me that the student was coming. I would have refused and suggested a better room. So by my refusal I probably looked unfriendly and nasty. It has been said before, The OR is an acute care setting and the personalitied are very strong, they have to be strong...we are protecting our patients.

Tely can be a very fast paced place and you will learn a lot, A lot of hospitals will not take a new RN there either. Learn this special area not like you are going to be leaving soon, but as if this is the only thing that you want to do. If you have the attitude that you are only there bidding your time the other more experienced RN's will pick-up on it and it can be tough. Good Luck:nurse:

My backgroung is from tele/stepdown/interventional cardiology. I never really spent anytime on M/S floor.

I agree, I think everyone should work on a floor/unit before coming to the OR. It can be a tough environment to work in. The floor/unit can teach you so many things. I also think that sometimes it is easily forgotten how hard it can be to work on those floors/units. It makes you learn prioritization and hones your problem solving skills.

Bravo on passing your boards!!! The OR can be a very intimadating place, it's very busy, always changing and you will feel "edgey" almost all the time. I've been in the OR for 15 months, I had a formal 7 month peri-op internship at a large teaching hospital. The first month was in the classroom for 4 days and 1 OR observation day. The next 6 monthe I spent 1:1 with a preceptor. As I gained the skills needed I was given more responsibilty. This may seem like an excessive training but it is very effective. What is also very interesting is that when I started my program all the peri-op interns were all experienced critical care nurses. Every hospital/OR is different....Best advise is keep your eyes nad ears open, ask questions, prepare for each day by reading up on the procedures that are scheduled for your OR that day. I had a very well respected (and kind of loud) Neuro surgeon one day ask me to point out the structures/nerves that he was operating on, to see if I was prepared for the day scrubbing with him. I was able to answer his questions because I prepared for my day. You need a working knowledge even if you are not "doing" the surgery to know what to expect. (Sorry I'm kind of rambling) Good Luck, I love the OR and I hope you will too.

I work in a larger OR in the Metro Detroit area, we get 4.00 an hour to carry the pager and time and a half if we are called in, we are paid a 4 hour minimum.

I came off a Cardiac/Stepdown unit, I was there for appox. 3 years. We were all ACLS, ran our own codes ( no code teams ), but I found that I really needed to do one on one care and ICU was not an option at the other hospital that I worked at. ( another long story) So I went looking for a job in a procedural area and found my way into a peri-op program. The OR has been one of the best things that could have happened to me. I do agree, you love it or hate it. It is not for everyone. There are a lot of strong personallities in the OR. I hope you get to the OR if that is where you really want to be.

I love the OR, I couldn't imagine being anywhere else.

Med errors happen and need to be delt with as soon as they are noticed or occur. The pt is our main concern, deal with that first..inform Dr....pharmacy, etc. Treat, observe whatever it takes. Then figure out why it happened,usually it is a system problem. If this is a recuring problem with the same RN, there should be more education required for the RN.