heartholder

heartholder's Latest Activity

1. 

   Would like your opinion

   heartholder replied to stillastudent's topic in Operating Room

   Shevalove, I had a 6 month orientation in the OR. I ended up being mostly a gofer. I felt my orientation lack a lot of basics. That education coorandator is now retired. After my 6 months I was "able to take call". The only good thing was that I was on day shift with a lot of good people to teach me and with time, I gained the confidence and knowledge needed. It took me a good 2 years before I felt like an OR nurse. I also took alot of extra call on the weekends to gain the knowledge of how to work without the support people that are there thru the week. I did everything I could to learn as much as possible. My orientation also included scrubbing. I really enjoyed that and now the nurses don't get that in their orientation. You do need a strong personality to survive in the OR. But I love it and wouldn't do anything else at the present time. It is a different culture. The surgeons like the OR nurses at my hospital and respect their opinions. I hope this helps. Joy
2. 

   Would like your opinion

   heartholder replied to stillastudent's topic in Operating Room

   I went straight to the OR out of nursing school. and I don't regret it one bit. but you do lose skills being an OR nurse. I don't do IV's but I think I could with a little practice. I love the OR, and I know I don't ever want to work on the floor. I might consider the units or ER. I feel the best way you can be happy is to do what YOU want to do. Remember opinions are like noses, everyone has one and they all are different.
3. 

   Calling patients down for surgery

   heartholder replied to sharann's topic in Operating Room

   Hey Zoe. we are kindred spirts. I loved your post. you just said it much better than I could. I am short and to the point. Joy
4. 

   Calling patients down for surgery

   heartholder replied to sharann's topic in Operating Room

   where I work an 12 room OR. the circulator in the room calls the floor and pre-ops the patient, then calls the desk and tells the boardrunner when to send. we also have to ask the floor if the patient has special needs. the circulator where I work has a lot of phone calls they have to make. we call and send for patients. call family to let them know surgery has started, beep the anesthesia MD. beep the surgeron to let them know their patient is in the room. we beep the attendants for positioning help or moving help or whatever. we call PACU to let them know we are bringing a pt. to them. as well as answering the surgerons beeper!!!! I spend so much time of the phone I can't do my job!!!!!
5. 

   Do you love nursing?

   heartholder replied to a-rose's topic in Nursing

   I love what I do. I get frustrated with the hospital politics. I know that there isn't a perfect place to work. being an OR nurse I have comfort zones. surgical specialities that I know better than others. but I don't always get to do what I am comfortable with.
6. 

   how long have you been at your job?

   heartholder replied to tiger's topic in Nursing

   12 years here. I am an OR nurse and have been since graduating. 10 years at one hospital, then a year of traveling as open heart OR nurse, now back at first hospital as general/vacsular/GYN/oral/dental/open heart. as well as occasional Orthro and Neuro. before becoming a RN I was a home health aide. I did that for 10 years.
7. 

   Comparing Wages in the OR setting

   heartholder replied to dmclung's topic in Operating Room

   we are SEIU service employees international union. and we are trying but that is a good suggestion. if everyone would only stay for 2 hours. they even manditory people on their days off. can you believe that!!! we just voted down the last offer made by the hospital yesterday. so I wonder if they will offer another one. last contract we gave notice of intent to strike. but at the last minute the union voted the contract. at the insistance of the union. our biggest complaint is fair wages and fair treatment of all employees. they are giving the nurses more than the techs. and of course another big issue is the overtime. I have went to management before when I felt I wasn't safe ( I had been at work for 21 hours straight) and told them that if they didn't get me relief. that I would document it. they found me relief.
8. 

   When would you like your surgery to be scheduled?

   heartholder replied to Rottie1's topic in Operating Room

   I have always schedule my elective surgeries as the first case of the day. and I always choose who I want in my room. one of the few perks of being an OR nurse!
9. 

   Can Circulating Nurse Sit?

   heartholder replied to inches's topic in Operating Room

   the circulator can sit, as long as they face the field. I don't sit very often, but when I do, I pull up a prep table with my paper work and face the sterile field. I also put extra suture, laps and whatever I think the scrub may need during the case. One reason I don't sit is that as soon as I sit the scrub, surgeon or anesthesia needs something.
10. 

    Comparing Wages in the OR setting

    heartholder replied to dmclung's topic in Operating Room

    Pj the union at our hosptial is getting better, but the last offer by managment doesn't address mandatory overtime or staffing. and today......at least 3 RNs were mandatoried to work over. I know I was one of them and I am an occasionial nurse. I really wasn't mandatoried but I stayed for the patient. to management we are people with a life. we are bodies there to do a job... and there are times that I need a second person in the room. today I did a thyroid. and the surgeon sent out 11 frozen sections!!! it was a busy day. and I am so tired. but I still love what I do. but the management says because of the union we can't have a career ladder or any type of incentive to better ourselves. as a matter of fact, in the last contract they took away the bonus to be certifide, ie: CNOR, ACLS. I am kind of wandering. sorry.
11. 

    Comparing Wages in the OR setting

    heartholder replied to dmclung's topic in Operating Room

    OH yea Pj....here in the south. wages are LOW. I am a nurse with 11 years experience and at my hospital (which is the only one in East Tennessee) top wages for a RN is a whopping $19.24 /hour with $20 an 8 hour shift call pay. we have voted down the last contract offer. because of mandatory overtime and lack of staff. Management is poor and yes there is a lack of teamwork also. I love what I do but get so frustrated on a daily basis. I hate the bull****. I am one of the lucky ones, I now work occasionial ie: 4 days a week. and I get premium pay. an extra $5 /hour.
12. 

    Comparing Wages in the OR setting

    heartholder replied to dmclung's topic in Operating Room

    Shevalove, I went into the OR right out of school. The orientation is longer for new graduates now. It was six months for me. it is now a nine month orientation for new grads. and 3 months for nurses with experience. I love the OR and have never worked in any other part of the hospital. But a part of me has always wondered about working in the units or ER. what do you all think, can I do it?? I have been a nurse since 91. and have done nothing but OR, but I have done some traveling. thanks Joy
13. 

    Have you ever had one of those days were you wish you could just start over again

    heartholder replied to DIPLOMATICRN4HIRE's topic in Nursing

    Hello Zoe. first you have had a rough day. second been there done that. I had a case once, just a simple CME ok. well the surgeon cuts something he shouldn't have. so we crack the chest and hang about 6 units of PRBC's and open 3 pans of instruments. and I had a brand new RN with me. yahoo. got thru that one. Once I was the circle on another simple case. yea right. before the case was over we had x-ray. and TEE machine and tech. a cardio-thoracic surgeron consult. called in the heart team. I survived and so did the patient. but once I was relieved for a break at lunch time. I sat in the lounge and cried. it was so overwhelming. but somehow we do what we do and we do it well. I am not as good at communicating as you are Zoe, but I laughed at your post because I could relate to it. I hope you aren't called in tonight and have a great day tomorrow:)
14. 

    Question For Or Nurses

    heartholder replied to RJM's topic in Operating Room

    VictoriaG. very well put. Just because the circulator doesn't pass instruments, doesn't mean we aren't important. we are vital to the surgeon. we are the last avocate for the patient. and we are in charge of the room, we have to be able to look ahead and keep the flow of the room going, pre-op and send for his next patient. I just wanted to comment on the well worded way you describe the role of the circle.
15. 

    What's up with RNs who refuse to scrub?

    heartholder replied to stevierae's topic in Operating Room

    yes at the present time we have 2 travel techs. No travel RN's here. I did travel myself for a while and I stayed in TN. I went to Nashville and Chattanooga. In Nashville I scrubbed Hearts. In Chattanooga the problem was too many techs and not enough nurses. so I only scrubbed one time. for a Lap Chole.
16. 

    Shoes!!!!!!

    heartholder replied to Maula, RN's topic in Nursing

    try the swen swedish clogs. they have the wooden sole