FutureResearchRN

Hello, brand new OR nurse here. I have 4 yrs of floor experience and just started PeriOp 101 4 weeks ago. I thought I'd love it, now I'm not so sure. I am having a hard time adjusting. I miss using my floor skills and interacting with patients (sometimes). It seems like whenever I try to open supplies for a case I end up contaminating it. I can't seem to get a grip on the preps. My preceptors have been good but every day it feels like we are always in a rush to set up, turn over, etc. and they have just been doing everything because there isn't a lot of time for teaching. The staff is very good and competent but some of them have been rude and there appears to be a lot of "eating their young." It doesn't help that our hospital is going through a huge thing that will majorly affect the nurses (tensions have been high). I wasn't very happy on the floor so I left, now I'm wondering if I didn't just put myself in a worse position. Any advice for a newbie? Are these feelings normal??

Thank you to all who replied to this thread, every comment was very helpful to me in making my decision. I am happy to say that I accepted the OR job :) I am very excited to make the transition. Thanks again!

I interviewed for the periop orientation program at the hospital I currently work at. It went well and now I'm deciding what to do if I am offered the position. I have 4 years of RN experience in med/surg and tele. While I like my job on the floor, I don't LOVE it. I interviewed for the OR position because I am interested in working in a fast-paced procedural area. I don't like working with very sick people on the floor, it really bums me out. I feel like OR nursing might be for me. I have been warned by a few people, however, that many new OR nurses miss the patient care aspect of the job and leave. I do like working with patients but sometimes I really get annoyed of the demanding ones. Working with families is also sometimes stressful. I can always pick up a volunteer job or a casual RN job if I feel the need to have more patient interaction. Is there anyone on here that has transitioned from the floor to the OR who can reflect on this topic? Was it hard? Was it worth it? What qualities does a good OR nurse need to have?

I have been an anxious wreck for the last few days. The pressures of nursing are really getting to me. I made a mistake the other day which contributed to the patient being transferred to the ICU. I feel horrible, like it's all my fault. Now this patient was already pretty unstable, one of those "train wreck" patients that seem to have one problem after another. Obviously I can't share details about what happened, but my colleagues have been trying to make me feel better by saying that what happened might have happened anyway, even if I hadn't made the mistake, and I will go crazy if I think too much about the "what ifs." I had this patient multiple shifts in a row and got to know them and hear about what a great person they are. Never complained, always appreciative, stayed positive even through the pain and emotional distress. I cried on my way home after each shift because every day they got worse and worse and received terrible news each day. Maybe I just am not cut out to be a nurse... I can't handle the fact that if I make a mistake, someone's whole life can be changed or even over. I get too emotional. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with as a nurse and I don't think I'll ever forget it. Thanks for reading me vent about this ... Any advice is appreciated!

So I have never called in sick to any job before but today I feel like crap. I'm supposed to work tonight and feel like I should call in but I'd feel guilty because I know that we are short staffed already and census at the hospital is full. I'm sick with a sore throat and mild cough, no fever. I've worked the last 2 nights not feeling well but I feel worse today. But I could probably still function if i had to go to work. What would you do??

Agreed completely. It is not fair to say that someone who is book smart has no common sense. I hear people say this frequently. I loved nursing school for the fact that we were encouraged to ask many questions, utilize theory and research, and not be quite so task oriented. But in real life on the job I feel as if I was taught tasks and not much critical thinking or thinking above and beyond about things. It depends on your job I suppose.

I never answer when work calls. Over the last few weeks I've gotten calls almost every day. If I decide to be nice and work, I'll call back. You can't work so much that you burn yourself out.

Well, I didn't take the home health job but I was lucky enough to land a job on a telemetry unit back home :) I figure I'll stick with hospital nursing for a few years before deciding a specialty.

Congrats! I got mine too :)

I'm in the same boat, they just checked my references today and I'm waiting to hear. Soooooo nervous. Good luck!

Report him for sure. No one should ever be spoken to like that.

Yeah the "nursing shortage" thing is BS. And it isn't easier for new grads with BSNs either, as I had to move 200+ miles away in a rural area to get hired in a hospital. I'm a few months short of my "one year of experience" and starting to resume my job search in my hometown and I'm still having a difficult time. Most hospitals aren't doing well financially, causing job cuts and hiring freezes and it seems like a lot of hospitals just do not want to invest money into training new grads anymore.

I'm a shy nurse too. I've been shy my entire life and it's something that will never change. But you learn to not be shy at work. It is difficult, but just remember to communicate what needs to be communicated, no matter how "stupid" you may sound (esp with doctors and such). Also, being talkative doesn't make you a better nurse. I've been complimented on being a good/caring nurse for things that dont involve conversation, such as focusing on pt comfort, oral cares, etc. you will figure it out in time.

Ok thanks for your answers! The job would be working with both children and adults. I think it would be a good fit for me. I'm getting closer to accepting the job but am not 100% sure. I'm going to chat with the manager and ask some questions before making a decision. I thought it was a little weird that I was offered the job on the spot on the 1st interview but it sounds like that may be typical for home health agencies?

I graduated last spring and I'm currently a med surg nurse and have 8 months of experience. I strongly dislike med surg. Home care sounds like it fits my personality better- I like working with one pt at a time, slow pace, and working alone. The job would be private duty. Just trying to decide if I should finish my *one year* of med surg or jump on this opportunity. Also I moved 250 miles away for the hospital job and am miserable there. The home care job is In my hometown which I love.