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Scrubbed for an Aortic Dissection, for 14 hours. Pt. would not come off bypass, so surgeon harvested mammary for LAD bypass,, then harvested saphenous vein for RCA bypass, didn't work, pt. eventually expired on table. Took pee break during rewarming of pt. after dissection repair.

Here's the results ... NCLEX 6 me ZERO !!!! I am losing the battle. I have written this exam 6 times, had 75, 121, 160, 265, 90, and 75 questions on the previous exams. Just wrote this past Monday, found out via Pearson site on Thursday, I once again FAILED. Feel like I wasted my time via Kaplan's review course and other courses I care not to remember over the past few years. Studied via Lippincott's, Saunders, and a variety of review books. I am a Registered Nurse here in Canada and have been for almost nine years. I will take this test one more time, lucky 7 !!!! Who knows, maybe I can pass this exam. Enough venting..... I know there are numerous threads pertaining to study techniques and hints to pass this exam.... I would like to hear from others who have studied for this exam while working full-time etc. etc. .... Thanks ...... David.

Does anyone page the Circulating and Scrub Nurse in the morning and get them out of bed to be to work on time ?? Didn't think so. I make that point at work all the time when a surgeon or anesthesia is late for their first case. We are at work on time, have the room set up and either counted or ready to count when patient is brought to the room. I agree with previous comments regarding the surgeon/anesthesia have the start times for the first case and should not have to be paged !!! Just my two cents ....... David.

Our facility performs roughly 75% of our CABG cases as off-pump (800/year) and we do not re-sterilize our Octopus retractors. We seldom use the Starfish and do not re-sterilize that either. We, the nursing staff strongly agree that every patient should be treated the same when it comes to disposable products, thus if patient A gets a brand new Octopus for his/her case then patient B should get the same!! I do agree that the company could reduce the cost by developing a Starfish/Octopus that only have the retractor part as disposable, but that will never happen !!! Just my thoughts ........... David RN CNOR RNFA

If you are interested in the O.R. working as an RN, you will probably have to work at a facility that incorporates the RN in both scrubbing and circulating. I too work in an O.R. that only has RN's. When I first started working in the O.R. some nine years ago, I scrubbed very seldomly. My goal when I started in the O.R. was to gain experience, and become a RNFA (Registered Nurse First Assistant). I am now a RNFA, thus allowing me to scrub more often both as a first assistant and as a scrub nurse. Hope this helps... David

Our RNFA's are paid hourly and are in the rooms assisting with positioning, inserting foley catheter, and prior to that they will do preoperative assessment, check pt. for consent ..... all that check in stuff! A BSN is not required. Hospital expects that all RNFA's have completed recognized RNFA program, proof of completion via certificate, ACLS + CNOR or equivalent as I work in Canada! Insurance is our responsibilty and must provide proof to hospital. Hope this helps.... David

Angelo3.... The exam went very well. I benefitted from the suggestions that were posted and studied the Standards/Practises. Relied on my experience and felt good going into the exam. About 2/3 of the way throught the exam I was not that sure I was passing and started to lose focus and think of when the next writing was. I then regrouped and remembered that my plan was to utilize the Nursing Process, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and the ABC's to answer questions. Each question had two definite wrong answers and one answer that was according to AORN standards and one answer which was what I would have done... I chose the AORN standard answer every time. Then at the end of the exam I was grateful to see the report that stated.. preliminary results have suggested you have passed. Yeah !!!! I am so happy and thank you again..... David

Thanks for the advice angel03 !! I write next weekend Aug. 21..... David:)

I started in the O.R. directly out of nursing school. Had been a Landscape Architect for six years before going to nursing school. Have been in the O.R. for six years now.....

I can probably send you some info .... just PM your e-mail address to me.Thanks David.

Alright here we go.... You are living in Canada, where? It's a large country!!! This is what I did, I too live in Canada (Toronto, Ontario) area. When I graduated Nursing school, I applied for and accepted a job in the States. I had researched hospitals that offered full-time employment concurrent with a six month O.R. course offered through the hospital. Thus, I worked FT, getting paid to do the O.R. course and at the end had to stay at the hospital for one year or pay the tuition back. Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info ............... David

Alright here we go.... You are living in Canada, where? It's a large country!!! This is what I did, I too live in Canada (Toronto, Ontario) area. When I graduated Nursing school, I applied for and accepted a job in the States. I had researched hospitals that offered full-time employment concurrent with a six month O.R. course offered through the hospital. Thus, I worked FT, getting paid to do the O.R. course and at the end had to stay at the hospital for one year or pay the tuition back. Hope this helps, let me know if you need more info ............... David

I have been in the O.R. for 10 years now and enjoy my work very much. Specilaizing in Open Heart..... I am the only male in the O.R. at the hospital I work at (Ontario, Canada). But having worked in the States for five years, I noticed that males were more prevelant in the O.R., as there were 9 men in the O.R. I worked in. Hope this info helps ..... David.

I have been in the O.R. for 10 years now and enjoy my work very much. Specilaizing in Open Heart..... I am the only male in the O.R. at the hospital I work at (Ontario, Canada). But having worked in the States for five years, I noticed that males were more prevelant in the O.R., as there were 9 men in the O.R. I worked in. Hope this info helps ..... David.

Thanks for the info lwlrn..... I am writing in two months (August)