Amistad

Hi there! I’m an OR nurse and have been in the OR for almost 5 years. Prior to the OR, I worked in inpatient oncology and did a short stint in an office setting. OR nursing is a totally different setting to most nursing specialties. We provide patient care but not in the same way as nurses do on the floor or in an office. Remember that while the patient is under anesthesia, you are that person’s eyes and ears while they are completely vulnerable. One of the most important things we do is ensure the patient is positioned safely. Patients can get pressure or nerve injuries very easily if not positioned carefully and they are in that position for several hours. These injuries don’t always show up immediately after surgery or while they’re recovering in the hospital so you may not hear about it. Some other examples of injuries that have been caused by staff in the OR: a prep solution pooled in the eyes of a patient under the drape and caused blindness. A patient was not secured adequately and fell off the OR table while the bed was moved into steep trendelenburg, the patient’s head hit the floor and resulted in death. We as nurses in the OR can be diligent and speak up for our patient when something is not adequate. We also care for the patient by anticipating the needs of the surgical team and anesthesia. Those are just a few ways we OR nurses care for our patients. BUT it is not the same as caring for awake patients and is not for everyone. I think if you are not finding meaning and purpose in your work it would be reasonable to look for a different specialty! Best of luck with your decision!

I’m in the same boat. “On call” for urgent cases at home without pay. I was advised to apply for unemployment. Times are rough!

Thank you for your response! I ended up attaching a letter to my application explaining the classes on my transcript and I also included attachments of the class descriptions. I guess they changed their mind because I got the license!

Hi Liza, I've been an OR nurse for a little over 2 years now. The OR I work at has hired nurses from various backgrounds including new grads and nurses with non-OR experience like myself. They will train you everything you need to know for OR nursing on the job or in a formal training program. I think you should go for it and apply for OR jobs without doing a surgical tech program. I would not work below my license. I was hired with no OR experience and trained to scrub and circulate on the job. That's just my personal opinion.

Hi all! Is anyone else having trouble getting their license endorsed to CA because of missing educational requirements? I've read that some people have had problems with the Communications requirement. Was anyone successful in proving that their undergrad program was adequate? I'm currently in the midst of a nightmare with the California BON. I received a letter stating I'm deficient in Psychology and Social Sciences. I found this super odd because I took a psychology class and several classes I would consider social sciences (like anthropology). I called the BON (was on hold for one hour) and was rudely told that my transcript was already reviewed and does not fulfill these requirements... um what?? I'm not exactly sure hot to proceed because I DID take a psych class and social science classes... I've already been waiting 4 months for this license... Also I've been a RN in the workforce for almost 5 years and I went to a great legitimate nursing school for undergrad sooo I'm super frustrated right now. Sorry had to vent.

That absolutely should not disqualify you from being a nurse.

I find it insulting they even make nurses take that physical exam. Do they make doctors do it?

StringOR; I'm sorry you're going through this! Being a new nurse is tough. Being new to the OR is tougher! I've been a nurse for 3 years and recently started in the OR. As a new grad I definitely had days where I "shut down" from stress as you are describing, especially when I needed help and wasn't getting enough support. I cried a lot the first year and my friends and family had a hard time understanding my pain. I don't think any of my non-nursing friends are subjected to such stress at their jobs. Anyway, I am here to tell you that it WILL get better. You will learn to prioritize and multitask like a boss. It took 3 years and 2 changes in specialties but now I actually have fun being a nurse. The OR might be challenging to you with an introverted personality. Teamwork is very important and you need to feel comfortable talking to doctors. I do know a few introverted OR nurses who are successful though. They work hard and don't cause drama which is appreciated by other staff. I would say try to stick it out and know that it will get better! Take lots of notes on physician preferences, it will pay off eventually! Best of luck to you!

There are NPs at my hospital who first assist in surgery, but they also see patients post op on the floor as well. RNFA sounds like a good option, but I'm not sure how easy it is to get the cert in your area. I've been trying to research RNFA programs online just out of curiousity (I just started working in the OR as an RN) and it seems they are very few and far between. Of course the one closest to me recently closed their program, ugh!

I agree good for you!! You probably did the right thing. Also, nurses should not have to accept unreasonable working conditions just because "that's the way it is/it's always been". We are professionals and we deserve a professional work environment. If a work environment is unsafe, then it needs to change. Nurse subjecting themselves to unsafe/unreasonable work environments allows employers to continue to exploit us.

I'm glad to hear that your work environment is not toxic. I have to respectfully disagree with your point that nurses are not vital to an operating room. Nurses use evidence based practice to promote patient safety in the operating room. We coordinate the administration of blood products. We pass medications off onto the sterile field. We interview the patient and note concerns for the patient such as PT/INR for patients on blood thinners. We prevent injury from improper positioning, electrical sources, or burns. We are the ones who say "hey doc, lets wait another minute for the prep to dry prior to draping to prevent an OR fire". We oversee the room with patient safety in mind and with background knowledge as a nurse. I would say our position is vital and not replaceable. Just my two cents!

Whoa. It sounds like you've had a very bad experience. Ive had a good experience so far. I just started in the OR 3 months ago and one of my favorite parts of the job is that I feel like I am an equal among the team. It takes the orchestration of every single team member from pre-op holding, through surgery, and in post-op to take a patient safely through surgery. That includes environmental services and sterile processing technicians too! I feel that everyone in my workplace is respected. I would highly recommend to anyone to work in the OR... I love it. I do agree with you OR dude that scrubbing is important. I think learning to scrub has made me a better circulator as far as learning to anticipate what the surgeon needs. I would be disappointed if they stopped using RNs in my workplace to scrub.

Hmm it's not a bad idea to drop to part time or even to 80% employment depending on what u can do financially. The extra day off could really help. You should probably stick around for the full year if you can and try to transfer internally. Maybe step down or ICU with fewer patients but higher acuity? You could do clinic work but the pay is less and some NP programs require current acute care experience. I personally work in the operating room now and I love it, I feel like I finally found my niche. Good luck! And hang in there... A lot of us have felt your pain [emoji14]

I have to disagree with jeckrn (although I worked on the floor before going into the OR). About half of the nurses I work with in the OR started there and loved it so never left. You don't necessarily have to have med surge experience to be successful there. I would take a look at the Operating Room specialty section of allnurses as there are several articles on what OR nurses do. I would ask the nurse manager about what your orientation will consist of, how long it will be. Will you be scrubbing and circulating or just circulating. How much call will you take. You could also ask her what made her interested in OR nursing or what is her favorite part of OR nursing. Good luck!!

I am learning how to scrub right now too and I TOTALLY feel your pain! I feel so dumb. I can barely figure out how to hand instruments the correct way. I wish I could practice in a simulation environment because there is so much pressure to perform well during real surgeries. I also don't want to slow everyone down. Anyway... I'm only 2 weeks in so I'm sure it will get easier with time. We just have to keep on learning and trying our best!

Don't resign! Every nurse makes mistakes, especially when in a hurry. Go to the meeting with the manager and talk it out. Discuss how you could prevent this in the future. Clarify which drips need a double check (and when in doubt for any drip, double check if you're unsure of the setup). Do you scan your meds? If so, why did the computer did not prompt you to have another nurse double sign off if that is required? I would ask if a safety measure such as this could be put in place. What do you do to cope with stress and relax? Maybe read a book, take a bubble bath? Take a deep breath and try to relax.

I am so sorry Rose_Queen. I'm sorry you had to go through this, and I'm sorry that human lives can end so quickly and unfairly. You and your team did what you could and the rest was out of your control. I completely agree that team debriefings should be done after traumatic events.

Thank you!! Good luck with your decision, you have some great options. I'm excited for a fun new year :)

Thank you!!

Thank you!! I hope you get the job!! As for my interview process, I had a phone interview first. I talked about my passion for advocating for patient comfort and safety (i.e. preventing falls, preventing hospital acquired infections) and that in my previous work experiences I have learned excellent communication skills with doctors, patients, families, especially with anxious patients and families. I also mentioned things I learned about the OR at the facility, such as recent construction that was completed, the trauma level, and number of OR suites (showed that I did my research). My second interview was in person with the HR recruiter and then the nurse manager. She asked a lot of situational questions like "give me an example of a time where you had a disagreement with a team member, how did you handle it". "Give an example of a time where you worked with a difficult doctor or patient". The third interview was with some members of the OR team. They asked me questions like "would you mind staying late to finish a case if necessary" "why do you want to work in OR" I prepared for my interviews with the articles in the "interview help" section of all nurses. Those articles are super helpful!

Hi all! After trolling the OR nurse forum for a while I am pleased to announce that I will be starting a staff nurse OR position in January! Hoorayyy! I could not be more excited. I'll learn to both circulate and scrub which I am very excited about. I know that the next year holds lots of challenges, learning, and growth ahead of me! And hopefully my fiancé will understand when I come home from work everyday exhausted. Thank you OR nurses for all of the resources, stories, and advice you have posted on here! A little background about myself: I worked in oncology on the floor and then worked for a year in an office setting. The floor was not the right fit for me. The office was nice and comfortable and I enjoyed being part of a family-feeling group, but I don't want to get comfortable I want to keep learning! I am determined to stick out this year no matter how challenging it gets. From what you ladies and gents say it sounds like it will be worth it!

It sounds like you're going to have to leave your current job next fall whether you'd like to or not due to scheduling clinicals. It would probably be much more stressful to train at a new job at the same time as starting clinicals than to start the new job now. Either way you've got some great options! Good luck!

I would advise to apply elsewhere. I had to leave a job after 9 months for family reasons and I was shocked how quickly I found another job. there is no harm in putting yourself out there. Just be prepared that you will need to invest more time in your next position so make sure it is the right fit. Best of luck!

I quit after only 1.5 years working in oncology. I had lost a parent and found it very difficult to carry my own grief and also help support my patients and their families. I felt guilty about leaving and was worried I would be seen as a "job hopper" but I had no issue finding a new job. It was ultimately the right decision and I have no regrets! It's time for you to take care of you. I hope you find something that is a better fit!

I think your job history is good. You stayed at your first job for 3 years and float pool for over a year. I would not consider you a job hopper by any means. Your broad experience would make you a great candidate for many different positions. I don't think you would have a problem if you decided to leave the clinic job. It is perfectly reasonable if it is not a good fit for you. I would think very carefully before moving to the public health job. $10 less an hour is a huge loss especially if you want to save up for starting a family. Also, just like the clinic job it may turn out to be different than what you were expecting. I also left an inpatient hospital job for a clinic nurse position and it sounds very similar to what you are going through. My training was non existent and I didn't even have a 90 day evaluation or any sort of follow up/check in with my manager. We were very short staffed to begin with and then one day a nurse was fired on the spot by one of the more "difficult" doctors. I was getting an impossible amount of triage calls and test results supporting multiple doctors and when I confronted the manager she always responded with "we're all behind, just do your best". I decided to stick it out for a year so it wouldn't hurt my job history and now I am looking for a different job. I also gained ten pounds from sitting at a desk all day haha! Best of luck and let us know what happens!!