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.

I was a camp nurse as a new grad, and it was very hard. But I had another more experienced nurse working with me and available by phone during her days off. I wouldn't work at a camp as a new grad unless you are working with another nurse with experience.

Hey everyone For those who have worked in both home health and med/surg... How would you compare the two? What do you like and dislike about each? I have a home health job offer but I haven't decided yet :)

I would get extremely anxious for the first 2 months or so off of orientation. I dreaded going to work. I'm 8 months in and I still get nervous for work but the anxiety is bearable. It's good to be nervous but don't let that get in the way of getting tasks done. I'm still overly cautious at 8 months and ask a million questions but I think we can all agree it's better to be cautious than arrogant and unsafe. Hang in there, it gets better :)

That seems like a tough position to be in but if I were you I'd take the hospital one since you said you eventually want to work in ICU or l/d. When you apply for positions in those areas, they are probably going to want nurses with med/surg experience. Med/surg is not fun in my opinion, but the experience you gain is valuable no matter what area of nursing you want to end up in.

Here's my story... Graduated in May 2013 with a BSN, RN. Wanted to start in med surg because that's what I was told to do. Couldn't find a job in the big city I live in, so I applied everywhere and landed a job 250 miles away in a small town. I've been unhappy here... Small town life is not for me and neither is hospital nursing. I was just offered a home health position in my hometown and don't know if I should take it or not. The thing is I've only been at my job 8 months and don't quite have the "one year" of acute care experience. I think ill like this home health job, but I'm afraid that maybe I will end up not liking it and wanting to switch areas of nursing again? In which case I won't have a year of hospital experience and it seems like every job out there wants you to have it. I want to leave that town so bad, but am not sure if it's the right career move. Advice much needed and appreciated!

That sounds a lot like where I work! It's a stressful job, but hang in there and it'll get better

Hey all, I am a fairly "new" grad RN...Been working in med/surg and ICU (it's a small hospital so we don't see a whole lot) for 8 months. During nursing school I knew I wasn't a fan of the hospital but took the job for experience. I still am not a fan of the hospital, though it's a little better now. Anyway, I'm interested in private duty nursing and have an interview for an agency soon. I like the idea of having just one patient to focus on At a time, rather than being pulled in 8 different directions like I am All the time in the hospital. I also am independent and introverted and enjoy working alone. My questions to you guys are 1) are my ideas of private duty nursing similar to how it actually is? And 2) is 8 months of med surg enough experience? I'm still not completely confident at work but I'm a heck of a lot more confident than I was at first. I have been recognized for being attentive to detail, good with patients, eager to learn, but I get stressed when things get super busy. Thanks in advance!

Where did you get your first nursing job? A small, rural hospital on the med/surg unit and cross-trained to the ICU. How did you get the job? Applied online. I wanted to work in the big city that I'm from but there were not many options for new grads, so I applied everywhere around my state and took the job that can give me the best experience. Are you still working there?? Yes Do you like it ? Do you hate it ? Or just surviving and why. I hated it at first. Being a new grad is overwhelming and I felt like I was not cut out for nursing at first. However after about 2-3 months, things started getting better. I'd say I'm surviving now. I don't hate it because I'm getting great experience but at the same time my heart is not in bedside nursing so I don't love it either.

Hello all, I am a newly graduated RN and have been working at my job in the hospital for about 4 months now. I often get asked by patients and family members how long I've been a nurse. I also get many comments on how young I am - I am in my early 20's and am told I look even younger than that. If only I had a dollar for every time I got the comment "You don't look old enough to be an RN!" Anyway, I'm wondering if anyone else has had the problem of not knowing what to say when you are asked this question, since my 4 months of experience is not a whole lot and I don't want anyone to lose confidence in me or question my competence as a nurse. If anyone has any suggestions as to how to answer this without causing any patient anxiety, that'd be great!

I have recently graduated with a BSN in May '13 and am currently on month 3 of my first nursing job at a small hospital on a Med/Surg unit as well as the ICU. The job is going okay; I like that I am learning a lot but my dream job is to work with medical and/or nursing research and possibly get my PhD in Nursing someday. With these goals in mind, I want to be an "experienced nurse" before I enter the research field. Anyone have any ideas as to what types of hospitals, units, etc. to work on to gain experience in research? I do plan on leaving the hospital I'm at once I hit the one year mark and hopefully find a job at a hospital (in/near Minneapolis) that performs research. Has it been possible for anyone to work a research-directed job with a BSN, or should I get started on my PhD as soon as possible? I would appreciate any advice! Thank you!