mleern

Hi, Thank you all so so so much for this great advice. It's exactly what I was hoping for!

Hi, It's been 27 years since nursing school and 17 since I had my last baby. My daughter is expecting her first in 6 weeks, and I'll be in the delivery room along with the "boyfriend" (long story), who has 2 other kids and says he will probably pass out. That means I'll be her main support and coach. She was not very interested in birthing classes, but she watches "a baby story" religiously and has read lots of pregnancy & birth books. So...my question is...do any of you have any quick advice for this process? I remember to focus on breathing, but that's about it! Any help is greatly appriciated!!

Hi, Congrats on your RN and OR hire! I've been in the OR for 24 years, and I wouldn't do any other type of nursing. The main thing is to hang in there...I was SO nervous at first! You mentioned 6 months training...we tell people it takes a year to feel comfortable, and even with that, things are so detailed and specialized now you won't be able to know everything about every specialty. So, get exposure to everything, expect bad days and don't quit, it will get not only better, but someday you'll actually say your job is fun. Hopefully you are in an OR where there's a sense of working together and helping each other. If not, you can start it by having that attitude yourself, and offer to help others when you have down time...like, ask if someone needs anything for their next case, help put extra surgery supplies away, offer someone a potty break, etc. And...if you don't understand something or want additional training, don't hesitate to ask. Good luck, the main thing is perseverence, attitude, and a sense of humor. We all have our OR stories that were horrible/humiliating/embarassing when they happened, and a hoot to talk about now!