Lorodz

Thanks for the replies guys. Clarified this with the theatre educator and told me that the back of the gown is unsterile. That would contradict what the orthopaedic surgeon told me. LOL. thanks

I have been in the theatres for years and this is a bit embarrassing to ask but I'll ask anyway. In Australia, we gowns like . So my question goes, is the back of the gown sterile?Some people tell me that it is, others tell it isn't I am not sure if the guidelines have been changed since I graduated from nursing school. Can someone please tell me the answer and the rationale? thanks so much!

And why would you want to waste another 4 years of your life to study nursing again? Please don't. Im a Filipino nurse in Australia. I graduated in 2007 gained some experience and migrated here with those experience. I have worked with several Filipino nurses who did the same path as you are doing and trust me, it is not worth it. 30,000 AUD per year? Go somewhere and work get the experience then come here. I have filipino classmates who did the bridging program without any experience and was able to get a sponsorship here in Australia. All I can say is the path you are are seeking is a waste of time and money. Goodluck kabayan

I'm an agency nurse and I never ran out of shifts (orthopedic scrub/scout) my suggestion is , do your job prOperly and make a strong impression on the staff, that way they will request to have you instead of another agency nurse. I have noticed some nurses and agency nurses I work with just don't care about the job. They just go to work and perform in a mediocre fashion. Don't be like that nurse.

A little background about me. I am an Australian RN and have been working in the operating room for 4-5 years. My specialty is orthopaedics- specifically hip and knee joints. The surgeons I work with are very nice, patient and lovely. However there is this one surgeon who just makes me feel so bad and incompetent. (I am not stupid and I am a very highly capable operating room nurse) The mean surgeon has a known reputation in the industry as very rude. But people tell me that he is "very nice" kind hearted and warm, it is just that when he steps into the operating room he changes his behavior. The surgeon screams a lot he expects you to know everything he likes! there will be times where he would just reach his hand out and expect you to hand him what he wants (I've only worked for this guy for less than a year). I would cite some examples of his rude attitude in the theatre -As I am not very familiar with the system he uses, I am very dependent of the rep. One time the rep was trying to give some instructions to me and I didn't hear what the surgeon wanted (to make things worst we are wearing this astronaut like suits), he started lashing at me for not listening and justifies why he gets angry. (The rep and I were just trying to get the next jig ready) -just today, he screamed at me for not knowing the next step (it's my first time doing an ACL with him) he insisted that I would have known what the next step is if I was just watching what he was doing. This is absurd as much as I want to watch what he was doing, as a scrub RN, I need to organize what he needs next. -he lifted the patient's leg and expected me to know what to do. (He wanted me to pull the drapes) he then yelled at me for just standing there and not doing anything! He could have simply told me to pull the linen to the right so as to stop it from misaligning. (Again I have only worked with this guy for less than a year (and usually twice a week) the abusive stories just go on and on. The management knows about it just doesn't do anything about it (they consider surgeons as customers and they need them to survive, $$$ nurses are not prioritised) the reason why I'm posting this is I need some advice on what to do. What I have done so far, is to write down what I have learnt that day so that I would be improving next time. (Unfortunately senior nurses told me that no matter how much I perfect what I do there is no perfection for him, he would always look for a mistake, and if I would not make any mistake, he would do something so that I would make a mistake) his rude attitude and behavior is eating me and it has affected my relationship with my partner. In addition, my partner said that I sometimes sleep talk and start cursing while Im asleep. This usually happens whenever I finish a bad day at work. Obviously, I'm having nightmares of what happened. Any advice? thanks.

Thanks for the suggestion thenightnurse456. I will take your suggestion on a higher level, I will document using my iPhone as a recording device. I will put it in my scrub shirt pocket just before i scrub(or put it somewhere in the operating room where it can pick up the abusive comments. I have worked with surgeons who have an occasional outburst about the situation (cursing to the situation and not towards me) however this particular surgeon directs this abuse towards me. what makes this complaint difficult is that the surgeon initially is "nice" but when he gets to the part of sawing the patient's joints, he starts to transform into a mean monster. He would ask for an instrument while im in the middle of assembling some jigs and i would miss what he said. he would get very infuriated and yells. argh. One time I broke down and cry because he never stops yelling at me. he is so mean and rude.

as the previous poster said, you cant be fussy on which hospital to apply. At the moment australia is oversupplied of RNs. I was sponsored by a hospital and since then they have stopped sponsoring and started hiring new grads. If your very keen in applying here as an RN in AU. go about the process step by step. 1st and the most important part -IELTS 7 in all bands. 2. get registered in AU 3. have supporting documents for your experience 4. look for hospitals, any hospitals and do not limit your prospects to melbourne! i was so desperate one time that i was even looking for sponsorships in rural australia! good luck!

A little background about me. I am an Australian RN and have been working in the operating room for 4-5 years. My specialty is orthopaedics- specifically hip and knee joints. The surgeons I work with are very nice, patient and lovely. However there is this one surgeon who just makes me feel so bad and incompetent. (I am not stupid and I am a very highly capable operating room nurse) The mean surgeon has a known reputation in the industry as very rude. But people tell me that he is "very nice" kind hearted and warm, it is just that when he steps into the operating room he changes his behavior. The surgeon screams a lot he expects you to know everything he likes! there will be times where he would just reach his hand out and expect you to hand him what he wants (I've only worked for this guy for less than a year). I would cite some examples of his rude attitude in the theatre -As I am not very familiar with the system he uses, I am very dependent of the rep. One time the rep was trying to give some instructions to me and I didn't hear what the surgeon wanted (to make things worst we are wearing this astronaut like suits), he started lashing at me for not listening and justifies why he gets angry. (The rep and I were just trying to get the next jig ready) -just today, he screamed at me for not knowing the next step (it's my first time doing an ACL with him) he insisted that I would have known what the next step is if I was just watching what he was doing. This is absurd as much as I want to watch what he was doing, as a scrub RN, I need to organize what he needs next. -he lifted the patient's leg and expected me to know what to do. (He wanted me to pull the drapes) he then yelled at me for just standing there and not doing anything! He could have simply told me to pull the linen to the right so as to stop it from misaligning. (Again I have only worked with this guy for less than a year (and usually twice a week) the abusive stories just go on and on. The management knows about it just doesn't do anything about it (they consider surgeons as customers and they need them to survive, $$$ nurses are not prioritised) the reason why I'm posting this is I need some advice on what to do. What I have done so far, is to write down what I have learnt that day so that I would be improving next time. (Unfortunately senior nurses told me that no matter how much I perfect what I do there is no perfection for him, he would always look for a mistake, and if I would not make any mistake, he would do something so that I would make a mistake) his rude attitude and behavior is eating me and it has affected my relationship with my partner. In addition, my partner said that I sometimes sleep talk and start cursing while Im asleep. This usually happens whenever I finish a bad day at work. Obviously, I'm having nightmares of what happened. Any advice? thanks.

Aussie RN here, I work in a religious hospital and thus gets tax breaks as it is not a for profit organization. However the managers push us for a quick changeover. we average 5-10 minutes change over time for joints.

I envy you OP! Obviously you have tons of money to support your education here. As an international student in Australia, it can be very expensive. Anyway, may I know why your doing this? if you're already a nurse in the philippines, then why not do the IRON program (initial registration for overseas nurses)? It's just a short 3month course and when you finish that your already a registered Aussie nurse. All those cert and PCa stuff your doing is nothing and is just a waste of time (if your end goal is to be a nurse) and $$$ You need a sponsor? Be a nurse first. Get the 7 in all bands in ielts, do the bridging course and pray. From experience, hospitals are willing to sponsor you if you have an aus registration and paid experience. i work in Nsw's biggest private hospital and I have seen new grads every now and then. Their story is: it's so difficult to secure a new grad position, even a full time position. I was sponsored by my hospital (2 years ago) and they haven't sponsored anyone yet! They just hired 4 new grads as casual! My friends who have applied in government hospitals are finding it a hard time to secure positions. (Note these friends are australian citizens with years of experience under their belts) im not discouraging you I'm just giving you the status quo here. All the best

Im a bit confused about the fluids used in urology. if the patient is having a cystoscopy, which fluid is ideal? and why? if patient is having a surgery above the bladder, which fluid is ideal? and why? if patient is having a long urological procedure, which fluid is ideal? and why? if patient is having a cystoscopy with diathermy, which fluid is ideal? and why?

thank you for sharing. Have you tried searching online for nurses who blogs? I was looking for one the other day but I havent found a nurse specifically blogging for the operating room environment.

OMG ScrubRNwannabe! Your story is really, really depressing. It really paints a horrible portrait in the operating room. Let me tell you my story. I’m a registered nurse from a different country and migrated to the down under. Prior going to Australia, people were warning me that this is a racist country, that racism here is rampant. I was even more scared because I will be working in the theatre. The operating room is very different from other departments. It is a very close knit, fast paced environment. When I arrived here and started working in big and busy Hospital, I was greeted and treated well with management (orientation day). When I started working inside the theatre, my clinical educator was very nice and accommodating. The people inside my theatre are not only exceptional in their skills, updated with their knowledge, well versed in the anatomy and physiology of each case but also very, very nice. Each of the preceptors that I work with everyday introduced me to the surgeon and the rest of the team. The surgeons would flash their big warm smile and would welcome me like a long lost family member. They would ask me questions on where I come from and my practice (I have theatre experience in my previous country). During the surgery, they (doctors or RN’s) would ask me to take a peek at the surgical site (without breaking sterility) to see the site they are working on (peek on the microscope for an ENT case, hover near the operative site during an open heart, etc). Some doctors would even discuss each step their doing to me. There are some doctors who would bring food for the team to eat during breaks. And it’s for free! After the FREE treats, we help the doctor wash the plates and tidy the table. My fellow RN’s also are nothing short of amazing. They are like brothers and sisters to me. They always look after me, making sure that I take my tea breaks and lunch breaks. Whenever there is a busy, busy day and the surgery is non-stop, there would be other staff walking in from time to time to relive you so that you can have your morning/afternoon/lunch break. My fellow RN’s would also ask me what I know about the procedure (to gauge on what I know and fill in the gaps) and would happily discuss with me the case and what instruments to give to the surgeon. (learning is facilitated here because it is not by rote memorization but rather by understanding) I have only noticed that teamwork not only exists inside the theatre, but also the surgeons and fellow nurses treat even the orderlies and janitors as part of the team. They talk to them ask them how they are and even sometimes (if the nurses have time) would help them do their work (like mopping the floor for them or wiping the tables after procedures) In our theatre it is a team. It is a great working environment. It is a big and busy hospital but you never notice the time, you never notice how tired you are because working in my theatre is very light because everyone is so nice. We are a family in there helping patients get the best care they deserve. Getting up every day and going to the hospital is not a chore, for me it is changing the world one patient at a time. The theatre is a lovely place to be. From your story, it is a nightmare! I suggest you try working somewhere else. You might get employment and some skills if you get hired there. But it would only eat you. You might develop some trauma in the theatre and swear not to join this lovely field of nursing.

Hi there! I just had my OR interview with the Nurse Unit Manager. I also had heaps of interviews with other hospitals. They have different types of questions but it all boils down to certain topics such as: 1. Teamwork - what are the characteristics of a good team member? - discuss a situation in your previous job where you showed these qualifications 2. Stress - How do you deal it with? - if you are working with a person who is giving you all the stress, what would you do? 3. Occupational Health and Safety -what is your idea about the said topic technical questions are rare (such as what suture is used in tying a fascia, what do you mean by Bilateral antrostomies, sinus toilette and left aural toilette etc.) Most questions are situational I was asked, during a surgical procedure while the surgeon is closing a body cavity. You have done your count and realized that there is a missing item. You and your scout has thoroughly searched for this item, but you were unable to locate it. What would you do? well thats it. I wish you all the best! good luck and let us know!

OMG this is so funny!

thank you for your post it is very helpful!

from masiagere 3. how is physician / nurse interaction in the icu ? (in my hospital it is very much a partnership, very respectful and unlike a lot of other floors in the hospital) where i work, we have a great working environment, all our members are part of a team. consultants will ask your opinion, discuss your concerns, and generally are just interested to hear what you as the nurse caring for the patient, have observed throughout your shift. having said that, it depends on the doctors you work with, their attitudes and experience, and the culture of the unit itself. that i think is different unit-to-unit. if you're referring to something like the concept of "dr's treat nurses as handmaidens" (a very outdated professional relationship), then no, our working environment is not like that. we are professionals and are recognised as such. as an overseas nurse, i was shocked by the autonomy of the icu nurses in australia. as i have observed, they are like 'doctors' in their own rights. maybe because of the depth of their knowledge that was gained from experience. in the icu that i was allowed to observe for a week, the line really blurs between nurses and doctors, because everyone is part of the team. even chaplains write in the progress notes of the patient!

hey shasha025, there are tons of info over the net for you. you can start by clicking this link. sometimes i wish people would not be lazy and expect forum members just to go out of their way to feed them some info.

i have no idea about how to do it in new zealand. i can help you with australia though. - what are some options for me in terms of visa? there are many visa options for nurses. you can apply for a working holiday visa or have an employer sponsored working visa (457 visa) - how do i go about applying for these options? a. hire an agency b. learn it the hard way ... read the info over their website. dont worry as it is a very straightforward process. - do i need to get registered with ahpra there or will my registration in the us be sufficient? us license is applicable to usa only (and in canada, i think, for the nafta agreement) - are there any nursing hiring agencies you recommend i contact? there are a gazillion nursing agencies here. but finding the right one is like a hit and miss thing. you can head over here or here to begin your search. - should i apply for the masters degree programs there? which universities have the best nursing programs there? masters degree for what? thats a different path. in that case i suggest you apply directly to a university and get a student visa. as an overseas educated nurse, you have to undergo an orientation program. click here wishing you all the best!

OMG orthopedic implants those are expensive! LOLZ ... anyway, can somehow help me with my query? where can i find a link about flipping stuff in the theatre? ive done a google search, unfortunately all turned out not helpful

ideally, flipping instruments is not recommended, according to our operating room standards. But i see a lot of people practice it. We flip many things such as sutures, gloves etc... but i just cant learn the technique. Im having a hard time learning it. can someone show me a step by step on how to do it? a link to a video site would be highly appreciated.

Thank you for th reply. I'm done with the interviews. Both of them asked about conflict, teamwork and clinical scenarios. There was no technical questions such as what is the first layer of bla bla

Hi guys, I will be having an over the phone panel interview in one big city hospital and another one over Skype interview in also a big city hospital. It would be for a theatre position. I'm scared and getting nervous about it. I migt let nervousness get the best of me and really flip out during the interview process. About me. I have 2 years +++ experience in the operating room department, I will be applying in 2 big city hospitals. I have done my homework on studying about those two hospitals online. Did some research on interview tips. But still, I'm feeling scared. I'm even jittering right now. I can sleep. Please help. Give me tips? What could be the possible questions these unit managers be asking? Thanks.

Oh that's sad...I've been nursing for almost 3 years, and whenever I encounter newbies on the floor, I'll be glad to teach them on how to do things, but I have to tell them that they must have a small notebook and pen with them so that they can jot down notes. I don't like to teach them things that I have taught them before. I think bullying doesn't only apply to nursing. Bullying us everywhere. I think the appropriate thing to do is to inform the person about how you feel and realize why she's acting that way. If she continues to treat you like that, it only means she have an attitude problem, better escalate to your nurse manager.

Yes, of all English speaking countries, the u.k., Australia and new zealand requires you to have at least a 7 of each subtest in the IELTS exam. But if you took your nursing degree in the USA, you don't need to take that exam. Ü