CDRNURSE

I will graduate in December and have applied for an OR position in a small community hospital. I am told that they do occasionally hire graduate nurses and they are listed on AORN's website as having the periop 101 training through AORN. I wonder if any of you can suggest some inquiries to make in an interview regarding the training. One concern I had is that I was told you start off in the OR central supply area learning the sterilization process and (I am assuming) tray/kit setups. I have no problems with this, but I sure don't want to be in CS for months! What is an accepted time frame for basic training and what kind of "training rotations" should I expect? I know you all work in many different types of hospitals, but there must be some standards I should expect and be able to inquire about. Any help on this is greatly appreciated.

I am actually a student about to enter my last semester and I have read all of the responses with much interest! I completed a nurse "externship" this summer and "absorbed" more than I could ever "learn" under the stern clinical tutelage of a nursing instructor....One thing my (experienced ICU) preceptor taught me which has stayed with me (and was never referred to in school), is that it is very important to flush all lines (that are not currently continuously running) when you first assess your patient at the beginning of your shift. This provides some assurance that, should the patient go "bad" and need IV meds emergently (or urgently) that the lines are patent....this may seem like a "no-brainer" for you expereinced nurses, but I have yet to have an instructor actually encourage this practice. Usually, they just ask whether you completed the "shift" flush. Given the many responses to this particular forum question, and my own limited experince, I would have to agree with all of the advice given about asking, double checking and using references and resources to verify best practices and policies. Truly, there is no substitute for experience. Thanks to you all!

Thanks very much for your responses! They confirmed my novice opinion that OR people are generally a good group to work with. I inadvertently ended up speaking with a nurse manager at one facility yesterday who stated that they require their staff to live within 15 minutes OR to stay within that distance when on call. I guess the best approach is to be open to possibilities when interviewing. I also appreciate feedback on the allergy issue. I cannot even remember how the discussion with this ENT doc came about, but when I mentioned my numerous drug allergies, he stated the OR "is not the place" for someone so susceptible particularly with MRSA and VRSA so prevalent. It really blew my mind. Thanks again. Laura

I am an RN student who is hoping to graduate (finally) in December. I have a very great interest in OR nursing but feel my local small hospital (2 miles away) will offer only very limited OR experiences. I would like to apply to other hospital but they are all 30-45 minutes away. Is there any chance of getting an OR position when one lives that kind of distance? I know that being on call is usually required and I am willing to stay physically at the hospital during that time period...Do hospitals allow for this with their nurses who do not live close by? One other unrelated question...when I did a rotation through the OR this semester, one of the surgeons indicated that someone who hasd many allergies to antibiotics (as I do) should not work in an OR. Does anyone have an opinion on this? Thanks for any feedback on these two issues...obviously, I am trying to determine if this is the route I should go despite my interest.