Jeff RN

well, might me a little exaggeration. But that is just in one of the surgeon's rooms. Each orthopod generally runs two rooms, sometimes 3. 45 minutes skin to skin, you know the deal.

I think 2 years is a good amount of time to want to specialize in something like hearts. I would approach your boss about it. I don't know how your leadership is structured, or what the culture is there, but I would talk to someone on the heart team about how to get on board. Ultimately, you need to talk to the CVOR manager to see if they have any openings. By talk to the open heart manager/staff they can fill you in on what it is like. The staffing, how much call you have to take, the variety of cases, if you can still float to other areas, what the available schedules would look like, what the personalities or culture might be there-I worked at a hospital once that after I rotated in CV I would never want to work on that team. I didn't like the people, the surgeons, and their "flexibility" with established policies. Anyway, just saying that you should get as much info before you commit to a change that you might not like. On the other hand, if they are looking to add staff, they should be excited to take you on. Although I understand that open heart rooms are not generally kind to newcomers!

yeah, you will never hear an OR nurse tell you that you need to work on the floor first. It's like whatever. My OR director is a former scrub tech, its a good skill to have. Most good OR nurses can scrub.

The skills involved in scrubbing and first assist are more difficult to learn than prepping, positioning, and having a chat with the patient. Sure circulating has more individual tasks, and you have to be organized, but try scrubbing 4-5 totals in a day without lunch and see who works harder.

I would keep a journal to record your cases. Also I would take home the doctors preference cards each day, and make notes on them. That way you can ask questions about all the misc. equipment and supplies involved. I would recommend a good Operating Room text, your course may provide or recommend one. Also, pictures of instruments are available online to help you get more familiar. In the beginning everything in the operating room is about familiarization. I would also suggest becoming an AORN member. The monthly magazine is included at it is excellent. Good luck!

That seems like a bad situation. Most ORs tend to be more specialized with their nurses. You certainly wouldn't normally see an new nurse doing totals and cabgs regularly. That is an unfair situation. The reason to be more specialized is to become extremely efficient. Another thing is that orientation usually requires 2+ weeks in general, 2+weeks in ortho etc. And that type of orientation is for an experienced nurse. Your OR does not seem to have a good teaching program. If you can survive you will be a very solid OR nurse, extremely flexible!

The best way is to get a job in the OR in a hospital that has a nurse intern program. They will teach you all the skills you will need. If there are no OR internships in your area, you can enroll in the perioperative 101 course available at some community colleges. An OR internship is the preferred method however, because you get practical experience at the facility that you will be working. I have never met an OR nurse that worked on the floor on the side. I have met an OR nurse that did home health on the side, however if you want overtime there is usually plenty of on call hours available. The nurses that I work with who once worked on the floor would never return to that. God bless the floor nurses, but its a totally different culture.