Mft1997

Holding a patients hand and making beds is NOT nursing. It is a duty of the nurse in an OR but simply because you do this in no way prepares you to care for med surg patients. On a unit you are continually assessing, evaluating, and caring for your patient. In the OR you as the nurse, don't even monitor vital signs. As a nurse who worked in both areas I can tell you that there is no comparison to the amount of patient care and critical thinking required. I have viewed my past year as a "break" from working as a nurse and others in my OR who were nurses anywhere else have said they feel the same. I caution against going to the OR immediately out of school as it can pigeonhole you forever. From a management aspect, I would feel safer hiring a GN rather than an RN with years of OR experience. That said, if you love the atmosphere and pace of the OR and have no plans to do anything else, don't waste your time in med-surg. You will be perfecting skills and abilities not needed in an OR RN. And dear God, if you go to a floor DO NOT put in an NG tube just because you are confident watching everyone else's skills.