4100RN

Both systems have their pros and cons, my husband works for Welmont (non clinical) and I work at MSHA. Pay for new grads (I think) once you pass your NCLEX is $17.55 for Wellmont and $18 for MSHA - or somewhere around there, so not much different. MSHA has stripped as many benefits away from their employees as they can, they stopped their Baylor program for those that worked weekends, they stopped their benefit waive program (20% more pay for not taking benefits), they took away "hours for accrual" where if you were sent home on low census you could accrue the PTO that you were entitled to...basically anything they could strip away they could. Wellmont hasn't taken away all of their benefits, but that doesn't mean that they won't since MSHA is getting away with it. I am not sure as patient care, and I am sure it matters what unit you work on, but there are complaints about both. I have just applied with Wellmont to see what they can offer for pay for my position. I know several years ago the "nurse intern" pay at MSHA was $13.50 for a new grad before they passed their NCLEX. I would interview with both systems, get a good feel and go with what you think is best.

Wow! Lots of scary info in these post! @elle604, our hospital does the same, if the antibiotic cannot go in safely at a higher rate, we us a dial a flow, but otherwise just piggyback most of our abx in, we very rarely use pumps in the OR.

Great advice given here...another suggestion for learning instruments, spend some time down in SPD assembling instrument trays...you not only learn what each instrument is, but you learn what instruments are on each tray. I was a Surgical Tech before I became an RN, so I know the instruments well, but I highly suggest putting you hands on the instruments. If there is down time also volunteer to help pull supplies for cases, so you can learn where everything is kept. Every OR I work in I try my best to learn where EVERYTHING is kept, even if it is someone else's job to get it for me, if they are not there, I am effecient at knowing where everything is. My hosptial lets us wear one ring, but when I scrubbed I either pinned mine to my ID badge (have to have it to clock out), or pinned it to my bra. I can't stand Danskos either, they killed my feet. At one time I had some birkenstock clogs (took a long time to wear in, but were quite comfortable when I finally did), have also worn crocs in the past, but currently I have a pair of running shoes that were recommended after a custom foot fitting and they are great. Good luck. OR personalities can be very strong sometimes, but they are normally a very tight group that act a lot like family!

OR to L&D are two completely different worlds. As you know, you don't really have to deal with patients (they are asleep) or their families in the OR and you will be having lots of interactions with both in L&D (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Depending on what kind of demographics you live in, you may find that L&D isn't as dreamy as you thought. It is shocking how many of our patients come in on various drugs, legal and illegal. The patient can be hard to deal with. Don't get me wrong, there are many, many wonderful patients who make the job more than worth it, but you do have to take the good with the bad. Your OR experience will help out if your L&D circulate their own c-sections as this is very similar to circulating in the OR. I have worked both, but most of my years have been in the OR so it feels more like home to me. If you desire closer patient care, then L&D may be the home for you, but if you don't love dealing with families or patients, the OR may be better. Remember too that when you work L&D you are caring for two patients at once (mother and baby) and there is lots that can go wrong, so you will find yourself in very scary situations at times...it's just the nature of the job. Good luck on whatever you decide. For what it is worth, I don't think new grads should go straight to the OR simply because you don't use your traditional "nursing" skills in the OR, while it is nursing, it is a very different type of nursing. Good luck on whatever you decide.