billyrec

You hospital sounds like mine minus just having to circulate. We had a 6 month orientation which mine was cut short. We had to go through all the different units as well. I liked transplant and ortho/trauma the best.

I just applied. I knew someone who worked there who put in a good word as well. But really how things are going these days if you want a job you have to know someone or atleast in my area because its just flooded. I work at a teaching institution and they have no problem hiring new hires. They much rather teach them right and have them do the right thing than have a person with bad habits. Try to go to the hospital you want to work and start talking to the recruiters. Get the name of the nurse manager of the unit you want and go for a visit. In these days of job competition a face to face visit works great versus just blindly applying. I got two interviews doing it. The OR is just completely different than anything you will do in school. It took a while to get used to.

I was actually just in your situation about 6 months ago. I was hired straight out of school when I graduated in August. I went through an orientation at my hospital and they showed me the role of circulating very well. You need to find out if your hospital wants you to scrub and circulate or just circulate, some hospitals just want a nurse to circulate. At mine we actually do both. I had a few of the experienced scrub techs teach me everything. Books can help but alot of it is repetitive use with the instruments. Don't be afraid to scrub, the doctors don't bite. Just be ready, everything you learned in clinicals doesn't apply in the OR. Basically its a completely different aspect of nursing. If there is anything that I can do to help you let me know from one new nurse to another.