FurBabyMom BSN, RN

I've had the same experience. One of our educators did not like me at first. So when they assigned orientees, I was skipped. My then-manager, assigned me to precept. After some time with no negative feedback, my name was added to the list (in our department) of "preferred/primary preceptors". And then we went through a really high turnover period - and I had someone with me ALL THE TIME. I missed out on having some of THE MOST ANNOYING people we had on orientation for a long time while I wasn't the "favorite". Precepting can be great, or it can be a great pain. It depends on the person you're paired with and whether it's a primary assignment or a "your primary called out so - go with Furbabymom for the day". I have some folks I've precepted who we're good friends and get along great. I have had favorites - but that is the nature of personalities...some of us mesh really well and others don't. I'm an introvert too. I tell my orientees that - that it's not personal, but that at first I'm quiet. It does not mean I don't like them, that I have a problem - but is just how I am. I work with them to discuss their "plan for the day". I've been badly burnt from precepting too - for a lot of reasons I won't share details here. All I will say is that luckily, my then manager and then director knew me well.

I was in several codes as a tech but often sent as the runner to run labs or run to satellite pharmacy locations (I was a float pool tech - knew where all the mini-lab sites were and my badge gave me access to the entire hospital unlike everyone else). My first real code as an RN was a visitor - a patient's spouse. They would die twice on my unit - once when we found them down, the other time when they were on hospice and passed. I had a handful of code situations when I worked the floor unfortunately... Since going to the OR - it's more rare but have been involved in codes there too. We tend to abort procedures if the code is especially unexpected...and send them to the ICU. The OR deaths stick with me more than the codes. Even though I know we tried literally everything possible, those are hard to move past.

I would argue that if you're buying an OR textbook you should "splurge" and spend the money for Alexander's. Berry and Kohn isn't bad but Alexander's is considerably better. MUCH more detail about far more specialty procedures and rationales are better explained. I would think we can all - one the surface - agree that bullying and tricking our coworkers is wrong. Not that it's not endemic to nursing and perhaps going to be harder to get out of the OR than from floors and ICUs... This goes back to being a good coworker and management being involved. Regarding CNOR - it is an expense and some people have test anxiety. I won't say I found it easy, but I won't say that it was impossible. While I am extremely pro certification, I think that this is an individual choice you have to make for yourself.

My advice is to be patient with yourself and the others around you. You're going to be the new person, which means you are an unknown. They won't know you, you won't know them...give that time. Give yourself time to "get it". Some days will be great - others you will feel like you will never do anything right. Join AORN - go to local meetings if you can swing it.

I think this depends on where you work and what is tolerated on the organizational level. Most of our surgeons are nice. Some are...less nice and some are just having a not so good day. It's really rare for us to have truly terrible surgeons where I work - but that speaks to the organizational culture more than it does individual behaviors. Honestly, for us, our anesthesia attendings tend to have a higher level of superiority over staff than the surgeons. Regarding my surgeon colleagues - we talk about almost anything in a given day at work (family, pets, food, travel, sports, etc.). In my experience, most tend to say hello (or stop to talk) when they see us out and about outside of work.

If you're used to wearing Danskos - there is nothing wrong with them. I have a pair at work. I also have Calzuros and a pair of tennis shoes at work. Depends on the day which I wear. If I'm assigned to scrub and stand all day, I may not wear my Danksos. This is probably more personal preference than anything.

Most of our providers seem pretty happy with us standing on the right side. Some of our providers are opposite (usually handedness issue) but they aren't mean about it.

We have teams. That's what you normally do...but not always. Our management team has the expectation that we can do all cases except open heart, but if it were a life threatening emergency, guess what you'd be trying? In our facility, we hold the most available room for traumas or other emergencies - so you do not always only do your service. This is true on call too - you may do something different from normal. I agree with RoseQueen - what are the staff and staff:surgeon interactions like? This is what drove my choice. I get to a little of most things all the time, but I love the service I picked because of the way people work together.

OR RNs in my system make more across all levels (clin 1, clin 2, clin 3, clin 4) than our floor, ICU and ED counterparts (and those groups make more than clinic nursing staff). We have three OR settings through - we have a surgery center, a community hospital and a trauma center - each of those is different, with the trauma center pay rates being highest. It's a significant difference of several dollars per hour over our counterparts in any other setting. In addition to a higher base rate, we are paid our system's standard evening, night and weekend differentials. We are paid to be on call, even though we might be sitting at home (currently 10% of our hourly wage, so someone making $30/hr would get $3/hour on call). If we're called in, we get travel time plus I think two hours or guaranteed pay just for clocking in - even if we're sent home 10 minutes later. There are some negatives though. Like not being able to really leave to get lunch, a snack or run to the bathroom without being relieved by someone else (unlike the floor where I could keep an eye on your patients so you can grab lunch). If they're calling you in overnight or on the weekend there may not be staff to get people out for breaks (or you might get forgotten by accident). It can also be a really bad time to get lunch or a break in your case and you may not be able to leave. If there are "too many" rooms running when you are scheduled to leave, you can't just leave...you have to wait to be relieved. In my facility - floor, ICU and ED RNs (and nursing staff - NAs, CSTs, etc) are capped at 60 hours of work per 7 day period. Any guesses who that doesn't apply to? Periop, specifically the OR. I've had more than a few weeks where I've worked or been on call 7/7 days in a week. I've had horrible weeks at work and then been on call the following three or four days of a holiday weekend. I've worked 25+ hours in a 30 hour period.

The intended audience is primarily those working in a procedure area / operating room staff. I agree - most hospitals frown upon double gloving in MOST patient care areas. All three of the places I worked as a floor nurse or nurse's aide discouraged it. However, in the OR, it's a bit different. I scrub. Handling instruments and implants (screws, other firm metal hardware) presents opportunities for a "break" in your gloves. Even if a "first layer" perforation occurs, double gloving allows you to notice it. Some people use a blue or green under glove - and those make it easier to notice when you have a hole. Not that it's impossible to notice if someone wears the same gloves (white on white). It is encouraged for our staff, and providers to double glove. I have heard the sales pitch in person and tried the product - both in my preferred size and a sample size (I was at AORN this year). I found that these were not significantly easier to don than two pair of gloves independently. A coworker and I "played" with a sample we were sent and tried it as with each other as if we were gloving a resident or attending...this product does not seem to be that great for that. It seemed significantly more difficult to get the pre-layered gloves "wide" enough to easily allow others to slide their hands in. It's not like you can reduce the amount of gloves on the shelf - you would need to have these gloves plus replacements for the outer gloves. Not only that - this only comes with specific types of gloves, and not all surgeons (or staff) prefer to wear those gloves. The package is, as expected, roughly twice as thick as a regular package and undoubtedly there are fewer per box. Additionally, these gloves are pre-matched by size. Not everyone wears the same type of size gloves - not everyone follows the 0.5 size larger under glove than outer glove. Many people wear two of the same size or flip and wear smaller as the under and larger as the outer. This reduces flexibility of sizing to find an appropriate and workable fit. Even if the packages were customized - then what? Order a box per staff member or surgeon's size specifications? Because any hospital has an abundance of storage space for sterile supplies? Personally, I tried the half size larger on the under glove and that means I have way too much extra glove in the tip of my fingers making it near impossible to determine if I've developed a hole in my glove(s). Anyhow, I'm sure someone will buy into this and switch their facility. I like the idea far more than I like the application at this time. There's nothing for me to use to sell for my facility - not a savings of space, not a truly easier option, nothing. Undoubtedly it's a higher cost...likely even considered that the cost per package should equal about two pair of gloves at a facility's current pricing contract.

I try not to share I'm a nurse when I'm a patient. It inevitably comes out there. Usually when I give too accurate and succinct information, or use the correct terms, and/or when someone recognizes me. Some time ago, I was a patient in our ED at work. My being a nurse kind of came in handy - I was able to discuss my care with the resident and attending treating me - and advocate against an expensive and unnessecary round of imaging. They asked where I work, I explained I worked in that facility, they asked what I did, I admitted I was a nurse. They asked where, I told them my department. They asked which "part" and I told them. Which is when they finally decided to believe me - my "issue" and present or absent symptoms were very similar to issues patients I care for have. I hate, more than anything, when family members are hospitalized and it comes out that I'm a nurse. Several family members have had surgery where I work, I've been ID'd by coworkers, and by friends who work on the inpatient units my family member(s) were placed on. But overall, in general, it's so annoying - like the floor nurses expect me to translate or reinforce everything because I'm a nurse.

My first code as an RN was one of my patient's visitors. I will never forget that. I have never seen the water thing. Another poster mentioned that hospice nurses have verified the water claim and request as having meaning. My personal practice has meant most of my comfort care patients are neurologically devastated and unable to ask. My personal experience was from my grandmother's passing, and she spent her last days kind in a coma-like state, seemingly unaware of her surroundings or those visiting her. She was peaceful though, so I have no complaints. I wasn't home during the final lucid days before that saga started, so perhaps I just missed it.

OP, congratulations on your little one! I'm not a NICU nurse, not a full-time peds nurse nor am I a parent. I am a friend, a cousin, sister and a daughter. I care for peds patients pretty routinely, especially when called in over off-shift hours. I care for patients of all ages really - from preemies to the elderly. Recently, a friend's child needed to have a procedure, and I was able to help them navigate that as well as the distress that exists in waiting for an update. My experience with a parent's cancer diagnosis and operations have helped me to see the perspective of our patients and families. Sometimes our own experience serve as enlightening glimpses into the realities of and paths walked by others.

I think it's a good idea to offer the choice to families. I think they need to know what it is we're doing, whenever possible. Most of the codes I've been in have occurred in the OR. We do not allow families "back" with us. Typically the only exceptions are some pediatric patients where Mom/Dad/familiar person comes back for anesthesia induction. Then it's hard too because everyone wants to be there but nobody is every really prepared to see anesthesia induction on their kiddo. People do not want to see what codes in the OR look like. If I could avoid it I would. The ones I've been in have been bad. The few I've been in where resuscitation was unsuccessful - probably look roughly the same as a crime scene. Even some cases where we don't run codes look like that...

I work in the OR. We're either scheduled to work 12 hours on a holiday or to take 24 hour call on a holiday. We aren't scheduled to work weekends - we have weekend folks who are scheduled. We do take call either evenings, nights or weekends - in case more staff are needed than what is scheduled.