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I wonder if perhaps the patient asked the question in front of his family members because he wanted those family members to hear a nurse answer it. Sometimes it's not the patient who's in denial. Is it possible he was enlisting the OP to gently chip ...

Bear with me. There are several types of tires. Most cars come with all-season tires. Most people replace their tires with more all-season tires when the mechanic warns them their old tires are dangerous (or, let's face it, when the mechanic warns t...

Hi everyone, This month (October 2014) the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) revised its process for registering for nurses trained outside the European Union (EU). The short version is: this is streamlining the process. Instead of making appl...

canesdukegirl, this is such a good perspective. I wish I could have gotten this advice when was orienting in the OR! There are definitely those who will intimidate, bully, or try to establish pecking order by finding fault with what you do. And just ...

I graduated from UT El Paso, then moved to Virginia. It took me months to find work; all my classmates seemed to find jobs in town immediately. More than half of the population of El Paso speaks Spanish at home, so if you are bilingual that will help...

I'm struggling to relate to a colleague in my unit. I'm six months off orientation in the OR - because it's OR, we have to partner closely with another nurse or OR tech in the room each day. I have a nurse colleague who seems to be universally liked...

Well, I'm off for Memorial Day but with all this good advice and perspective, I'm already looking forward to going back to work! Thanks so much to all who posted - I am very grateful.

I'm 6 months out from my OR orientation. The truly terrible days are coming much less frequently now. It really does get better. My orientation was supposed to be nine months, but it stretched out to almost eleven, even though my unit is perenially s...

Gloves on top of gown, slide towel and gown out. The rule that was stressed when I was learning was that you can't put your gloves or gown on the sterile field with other supplies. They must be on their own surface, and the gown wrapper then becomes ...

I'm just coming up on one year in the OR. It's my first nursing job. Definitely harder than school for me. I recommend "Pocket Guide to the Operating Room" by Maxine Goldman. I bought the Kindle edition so I can read up on cases on my smartphone (th...

Hi dontcallmeamurse, How's it going since you posted in July? I'm about to start working independently in my OR after 10 months of orientation, and I'm still not sure if it's the right place for me. But I have several compelling reasons to stay put f...

I use a small carabiner that I bought at Walgreen's. It's versatile: usually I clip it, with my wedding ring, to my car keys and leave everything in my locker. If you didn't want to leave it in a locker, you could use the carabiner to secure it to a ...

I am in the same position. Even with the benefit of a formal training program, it's tough being a new nurse in the OR, and I rather sense that I am already seen as "the slow one" in comparison to the other new nurse hired with me. To some extent, sh...

It sounds like you may be over-thinking this. I agree with everything you say - it may be difficult if you're offered a job you don't want; it may be too late for the job you do want; you may never get a job at this place. All of these things could b...

babyb78, You mentioned waiting for the immigration process, and I want to make sure you realize that you should be working on that before you leave for the States. Certainly, don't show up without a visa and say to the immigration people at the airp...

I'm in just such a program after getting my license in November. I'll say it's a challenge alright. My hospital sends me to another, much bigger, hospital nearby for training - we're taking Periop 101, which is a blended online course offered by AOR...

An earlier reply said you can't be sued if you don't have insurance. My understanding of the situation is a little different: whether or not you have malpractice insurance, the hospital's insurance covers your actions. This being so, a plaintiff's la...

I haven't been asked that yet, but when the question comes my reply will be, "Because I'm rather vain and I wanted to go into the more prestigious profession."

Another poster mentioned that new grads at WHC must work rotating shifts. Is that true at other Washington-area hospitals? I'd love to hear your experiences, in particular as it applies for new grads. Am I going to have to work rotating shifts? Perma...

I'm just getting over the first-week block. I find what it takes is one good day when I really focus on getting momentum. Another more suggestion: if you're done for the day and watching some TV, turn it off and go to be earlier rather than watching ...

I will be 39 when I finish. Not as old as many who've already replied. It's certainly not too late, and your age gives you two advantages for school: first, you know what you don't want to do with the rest of your life. Second, you have a sense of ur...

I'm a junior already in my school's nursing program registered for my first clinical class in Spring 2009. I'm already registered, note. This semester, the class I'm taking is offering clinicals sections on two different weekdays, 0630-1530 or 1400-2...

I'm in a medium-size city with several hospitals. I would think that the difficulty for the school arises from juggling several sites and instructors and 90 students divided among nine sections.

I too would advise talking to the instructor first. Regardless of reputation, instructors generally don't bite. I'm not sure why the fact that the instructor is the department head means you can't approach this person. Perhaps you could start the con...

Does your wife already know you're not going into the ministry? It's hard to tell from your post exactly how much she knows about your plans, and my only observation there is, the more she feels as if this is a decision-making process that you're sha...