Rory8

I worked the evening shift in the OR for a while when I was done with orientation and I loved it. At my hospital, evening shift is 3-11pm so when we got in we would finish the cases that were going and sometimes we would start cases after those were done. Most days were busy and we'd be done with cases around 9pm and then we'd be responsible for stocking rooms and putting unused supplies away. Some cases would go past even 11 and night shift would take over. We would also get traumas pretty frequently. This will depend on where you work, but I work at a Level 1 Trauma Center so we had to be prepared for anything to come up. The traumas were my favorite part, you'll see some pretty crazy things that day shift won't.

I was struggling with the same thing when I was in the periop program for my job. It took quite a while for most of the staff to even smile back at me. However, now that I've been working there for a couple years I understand that they were just standoffish because so many of the new people don't finish orientation, quit soon after finishing, or get moved to a different OR at our hospital, and it gets frustrating to put so much effort training these new people only for them to leave. I try to be welcoming and kind to the new staff because I remember how it felt to be new and feel like everyone hates you, but many people in the OR will make you earn their trust first. Now, the STs and RNs are my friends and we all help each other out, but it did take a while to get here. We do have to depend on each other quite a bit so maybe they just don't quite trust you yet. It takes some thick skin to work in the OR, especially with some of the surgeons yelling at you over ridiculous things, so I think the staff is also trying to prepare you for that. My advice is to stick it out if you really like being in the OR. If you enjoy being a circulator, then just focus on learning and doing the best job you can and eventually your coworkers will come around. And if their behavior continues once you know what you're doing then get out of there! Good luck, you can do it!

I agree, robotic cases are very similar to laparoscopic cases. I was recently trained in robotics and I really enjoy those cases. There is a lot more down time when the circulator doesn't do much, but it does require a bit more set up and take down (depending on which robot they are using). Do you think you'd like active, challenging cases or less intense cases? The other pro for robotics is that they can do many specialties (gyn, oncology, urology, some CT even) so you'd see more variety than just CT. I think they are both really interesting and you'd learn so much either way. Good luck!

Hi, I'm working at UNMH currently! Which units are you planning on applying to? With your experience you have a lot of options. I checked the job openings site and there were quite a few openings. We have a CAP system for pay here, depending on experience. CAP II is normally the base ($28.80/hr), if you have your BSN you would be CAP III ($31.80/hr), CAP IV is if you have masters or certifications, and CAP V is the highest. We have pretty good insurance, it's UNMH Blue Cross Blue Shield. The cost depends on which insurance plan you choose and what coverage you need. We get accruals for vacation, major sick, and minor sick every two weeks. How much you accrue depends on your hours and seniority, so the longer you work here the more you accrue. I hope this information helps! If you have any more specific questions feels free to PM me!

Thank you all for your input! I'd never thought about how knowing how to scrub makes it easier to be a good circulator because you are more familiar with the equipment and the surgery but that makes a lot of sense! And I agree that circulating must be nice if you want to stay away from the demanding surgeons

Thank you both for replying! I agree that scrubbing does seem to be a bit more fun since you're so involved! I'm way more intimidated about learning how to scrub than circulate though!

Thank you so much for starting this thread and to everyone who has commented! I'm starting an OR position next month so I've been reading this post and it has helped me go from nervous to mostly excited! I'm sure I will think of plenty of questions once my training program starts!

I used the Kaplan program to do most of my studying and went through most of the Qbank. I had a hard time answering questions on the computer though so I got NCLEX RN Mastery and NCLEX Stanford Review RN Qbank apps for my phone, both of which I found a lot more helpful than Kaplan. I used those apps to answer questions during TV commercials, while I was waiting in line, etc. I suggest looking at what your weak areas are and starting there with a bit of content review and lots and lots of practice questions. Try to do about 100-200 practice questions a day and make sure to look at all of the rationales, even the ones you get right. Also practice lots of SATA questions. Good luck!

I would take the second one just because a 45 minute drive to work sounds awful to me! But it depends on what is most important to you. Is driving 45 minutes a big deal to you? How did you feel at the first place? Was it welcoming, did people seem happy there, etc. What about pay, is there a notable difference between the two? I think you should wait until after your interview at the second place to see how you feel there and then compare the two :)

You could look into a tech position on that unit. It would show that you have a serious interest and it would look good that you would be very familiar with how the unit works and the staff. If that's not possible or not something that you're interested in I would suggest sending and email to the UBE/nurse manager/charge of the unit saying that you enjoyed your clinical experience on the unit and that you plan on applying there after graduation. When graduation rolls around and you apply, you could send another email to them reminding them of who you are and expressing how much you are interested/sell yourself. Good luck! :)

Almost all of my classmates that got jobs prior to graduation were part of the new grad nurse residency program at the hospital. You could look into residency options where you are, the deadline to apply might have already passed but it can't hurt to look. Some of my other friends still applied for jobs outside of the residency program before they got their license and they were hired with the contingency that they would pass the NCLEX by a certain date. I went on a big vacation before taking my boards so I decided to wait to apply to jobs until after I passed, so it was a bit easier for me because I had the RN after my name. No matter which way you go though, I would advise you to network as much as you can. Find out the names of the directors or managers of units you are interested in an send them an email selling yourself and showing your interest. It's hard getting a job as a new grad so do anything you can to make yourself stand out. Good luck!

1. New Mexico 2. $29.80 base 3. New grad, no experience 4. OR

Hello everyone! I'm starting a position in the OR in January (yay!) and I will be learning how to both circulate and scrub. I was just curious, for those of you who do both, which position to you prefer to do and why? Thanks! :)

Congrats, that's so exciting! I also just accepted a position in the OR and I'll be starting in January! I'm a little nervous because I know there will be so much for us to learn in this first year but I'm mostly excited! The OR seems like such an interesting place to work, I can't wait to get started :)

I wouldn't rely on the pvt, you don't know for sure until you get the official results. My license came up on the Board of Nursing website the afternoon of the day after I took my test. I hope the pop up was wrong and you did pass but if not, it's not the end of the world! Just evaluate how you've been studying and look at some of the tips and methods of studying people have posted on this forum and try again! Good luck!! :)

Albuquerque, New Mexico Brand new grad, BSN in OR (dream job woo!) Base pay: $29.82 Rent for my 1-bedroom apartment: $580. Utilities: ~$100 Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment here is pretty reasonable, ranges from ~$500-$1000 (I lucked out with a great place)

Do a bunch of SATA and picture practice questions! I took and passed my NCLEX in early November and I had a lot of SATA on my test. I focused on SATA questions the week before my test because I knew I was weak in them, and the practice helped calm my nerves. Don't study too much the day before, go do something fun to relax! Remember that not passing the first time isn't the end of the world, you can just take it again! I've met plenty of amazing nurses who didn't pass the first try, it's just a test! You can do this! :) Good luck!

It sounds to me like you are well prepared! I did a lot of SATA practice questions in the week before taking my NCLEX and I'm glad I did because about 1/3 of my test was SATA questions. I would just continue to do practice questions, more content review isn't going to help you (besides maybe lab values). The day before, don't study and try to relax. Go out and do something fun like seeing a movie or shopping to take your mind off things! During the test I kept telling myself I was just taking practice questions at home and that seemed to help reduce my nerves. Good luck!! :)

I think it really depends on what you're interested in. If you can really see yourself being an OR nurse, and are okay with more observation than hands-on, then you should go for it! The feeling I get from you though, is that the idea of a likely job offer, and not the actual OR, is what is attracting you to this rotation. OR is definitely not for everyone so pick the one you have the most interest in! :)

If you are having trouble breaking down the question, maybe you could try doing the full Kaplan program and using the decision tree they give. I personally didn't find it helpful, but a lot of people I know did! It has steps for you to follow with every question so you can decide what the question is really asking. I also heard that UWorld is really helpful, especially for the in depth rationales. I used an app on my phone called NCLEX Stanford Review RN QBank that has about 5,000 questions. I would suggest that no matter which resource you use to really go over the rationales to every single question, even the ones you get right. Good luck!!

I used Kaplan and did all but one of the question trainers. I also did a couple hundred of the Qbank questions. I hated Kaplan and found it really hard to get through. The resource I found most helpful is an app for my phone called NCLEX Stanford Review RN QBank that has about 5,000 questions in different categories. I tried to do about 100-200 questions a day using the app for the two months before taking my test. I found the app much easier and more fun to use than forcing myself to struggle through Kaplan online. Also, I think being as calm as possible before/during the NCLEX helped me so much. The day before I did about 100 questions in the morning and then stopped studying. I went out with my friend who was taking the NCLEX with me and we had a nice lunch, did some shopping, and saw a movie to help relax. During the test if I felt myself getting nervous or anxious I would stop and take some deep breaths. I kept telling myself that I was just at home doing practice questions and that helped me a lot. Remember that failing the NCLEX isn't the end of the world. Take some time to regroup then study and take it again! I know plenty of amazing nurses who didn't pass the first try!