SAS2016

Thank you. This week was better. 9 weeks at 4 days per week, 8 hours per day. So I am at 288 hours roughly. We are in class on Mondays and in OR Tues-Fri.

Thank you. I didn't think of it that way. I exercise & grew up doing dance but have never been good at sports. I have good feet coordination but not hand-eye coordination. I do not like sports so I will certainly have to think of something I can do. Perhaps some kind of kickboxing or self-defense/martial arts type work. I love staying active.

I need advice on how to gain sterile consciousness. I am a new RN in my 4th month of my orientation program in the OR and last week I didn't notice I contaminated different things on a few occassions. Some of the times I noticed & others I didn't. What bothers me is the ones I didn't notice. If someone else didn't notice I would have put the patient at risk. I guess since I am new and absorbing everything there is so much going thru my head at one time. I have gotten better but I am struggling with becoming more aware. Any advice? One was when I was smoothing out the drape from the foley kit...I guess I had touched the blanket on the patients legs. Another time was holding my hands up with my sterile gloves, the back end touched my shirt. Then I have had trouble opening sterile supplies onto the back table. Otherwise, it is just hard being aware all around you at all times (behind you, etc). I am having a hard time getting into the habit since it is so unnatural. In 9 weeks I will be on my own and want to be better at this. I haven't made a huge contamination mistake but I'd really hate to be the one that makes us take down the entire back table & order all new instruments in the middle of a case.

What did you decide? I would take the closer to home & more pay & med-surg jobs are a dime a dozen. OR can be hard to break in to. I am a new grad & started my first RN job in the OR in February. I am in a fellowship program. I am just now getting into the OR more. We had a lot of boring classroom.

Yeah, it has just been straight 2 months of 5 days per week of textbook training on OR when we could be in the OR more or lab. Our educator rushes thru powerpoints and then acts like we are dumb if we ask questions so we don't ask questions. She is condescending & when she is done rushing thru powerpoints we get to hear her complain or talk about personal problems. We are all to be there at 7:30am but she always has some excuse and we never start until about 9am. We enjoyed it for awhile but we got old and as nurses would rather be up and moving around. Oh well. Most of that part is over. I love the fact that the training is long. It needs to be long. My whole group just wishes the first 2 months were not wasted with death by power point but more hands on since it is a hands-on job.

Update: Well, today I finish up week 9 and we still haven't received a contract but they are coming & I think soon. Our educator mentioned them again this week. I think it is crappy we haven't seen them yet because I was under the impression we get them on day 1. Any other new grads that went to other hospital for residency programs (although not OR) told me they either received the contract PRIOR to starting (so that they could review it) or they got them day 1. The 9 of us iny my group were starting to feel we were not going to get contracts after all. But we are. The last fellowship told me they got theirs about 2 months in as well & the contract is OR specific. So you can't even move within the hospital. If it doesn't work out you are stuck in the department. Apparently if you get fired you have to pay it back too.I don't plan on getting fired but what if I am not cutting it? I generally like it so far BUT I am a brand new nurse & it is so much to learn. I feel I will never be fast enough or have thick enough skin. Everyone has been nice so far though. I am really overwhelmed & still worried about call. I'd feel better if I could move within the hospital as a worst case scenario. I just don't see how they can employ us this long and then make us sign an employment contract. They have already purchased peri-op 101 for us & spent all this money training us. I think most of the others will sign the contract tho so we can't ban together & refuse hoping they don't fire us all. I am scared to sign it & want to call their bluff but then I would be the trouble maker & may end up getting fired. Right now I am still in my 90 day probationary period tho. I will have to see what the contract really says because because if it doesn't say what I was told I will be upset I was lied to. Also, they need to back date it to my hire date & not going forward. They 3 years should have started being met already. PS: my group started in the OR 4 days per week this week. Prior to this we have been in just a few times & done a day in pre-op, PACU, & GI Lab. That is it. All classroom training & the classroom training has been a waste of time. We could have been in the OR. Now we are in class on Monday & OR 4 days per week thru August 12th. I don't see how I can possibly be ready to go on my own by then. Our OR is huge & just learning where stuff is is a chore.

I just graduated with my BSN in December and passed my NCLEX Feb 2nd. I felt the same way but thought I should give nursing a shot to at least know. I figured I HAD to try. The only clinical I liked was the OR and I just shadowed for a couple of days. I dreaded clinicals and DID NOT like floor nursing. So now I am now going to work as an OR nurse. I start my fellowship training program, that is 6 months, on Monday. I plan to start a post that shows my journey from newbie to novice (hopefully). My problem is also confidence. There is hope!!

Rose-Queen - I sure hope so. PS: No visitors sounds GREAT to me

San Antonio, TX is color coded so there isn't any confusion at the hospitals. Blue for RN, marroon for PCAs, etc. I think it is helpful for the patients so there isn't any confusion and they are not trying to hard to look at everyone's badge.

I agree vt prn...I was just nervous. I am really looking forward to this. The beginning of a new era!

Great idea Libby1987. I will look into those...I guess they are just thick socks? I have never heard of foot warmers before. What a great idea AliNajaCat. I guess I will start one in the OR Specialty page I guess (seems like that would be best). & then I can let you know. Like my own little diary. :) As long as all my pre-employment stuff goes thru in time I am set to start this coming Monday!

I can transfer to another unit if it doesn't work out. I really want this opportunity with all the training and want to be in the OR so I am going for it.

I thought that is what you meant Bottomed Out but didn't know why that mattered. I guess you would have had to travel or commute. I have never been to LA but it certainly doesn't seem worth the trouble (from what I hear).

Invitale- I do really want to be an OR nurse. I was just scared. It is more of a confidence issue than not wanting the OR. I was worried if I didn't do well and needed to get out of the OR then I would be stuck in contract. Otherwise, I prefer to stay at employers a long time. I decided to believe in myself, and the program. I am sure 6 months will teach me what I need. I am just not used to it because we mostly see regular floors on nursing school. I am going to trust myself and trust the training and go for the gusto!! I am sooooo excited, I really am. I really have no interest in a floor job. I felt I was 'settling" and I didn't go back to school for a second career to do that. Bottomed out...what is "LA"? Yes, they told me my call requirement is the best I will find in town and that they try VERY hard not to call you in. There is 24 hour coverage...so it is just if they get really slammed. It is a large OR with 36 OR rooms (if I remember correctly) so there is a lot of staff. I will just deal with it, whatever happens. It is worth it. Cocao_puff: I really appreciate what you are describing. You are right, I wouldn't like that. I didn't realize how bad it could be but I see that. As for yourself, there are so many areas in nursing you can go to...why don't you go for the gusto too and find something more suited to you? I think you can do it. Been there, done that - thank you! I agree with what you said. I don't know what I was thinking. Again, I was just scared but it is attitude & mind over matter & I am going to do this & do it well if it is the last thing I do. This is why I worked so hard in school. I see your many years of nursing experience so I trust what you say. :)

Thank you so much! I was leaning towards OR. I just really think I will like it A LOT! I was scared of the contract but now that I found out details it seems manageable. Hopefully I am there for years to come (more than the 3 even) as I am very excited about this particular hospital. It is Magnet Status! The instructor that referred me can't stop raving about the place.