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Discussion

Psych to OR nursing??

I am a new grad in psych. I expect to be here for at least a few years... I just have a crazy dream of being an OR nurse! Psych obviously translates very little to OR nursing except for nursing working experience I guess. I had an opportunity to shadow in an OR in school and loved it.

Are there any classes I can take ( I don't mind paying ) in a few years to get OR experience? Does anyone have advice as to how I can make the transition, or even if it is possible?

Thanks everyone

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    I'll be honest and say that there isn't much of other nursing specialties that will translate to the OR. That's why the orientation is so long, regardless of new grad or experienced nurse in another specialty. I've seen many nurses come to the OR from other specialties- some have succeeded and some have not, but it seemed more related to the individual than what other specialty they came from.

    I also don't see much value in taking courses- they are out there, but they will not be specific to the actual job you could be hired for, they are expensive, they may or may not provide crucial hands on experience, and it will all be covered again in your orientation.

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    I too am currently working in psychiatry and would like to give OR a try and was wondering if it is feasible...even though I love psychiatry, and I have tried other things like ER (which I have hated), I still would like to try something other than psych. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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    I came to the OR approximately 20 years ago and my background was ICU and Psych Nursing. Teamwork and communication are very important in the OR and I found that my psych background came in very useful in communicating with surgeons (especially the difficult ones) and other team members. You will acquire a completely different set of nursing skills, so all new nurses are on a level playing field when they come to the OR. Just make sure that you choose an OR with a good training program. I was in orientation for 4 months 20 years ago. Orientation is now 7 months for new nurses in the same OR and we provide training in both the scrubbing and circulating roles. We utilize Periop 101 from AORN and that is a great tool for learning those basic OR skills. My suggestion is that if you are serious about becoming an OR nurse, get involved in your local chapter of AORN and start networking with other OR nurses, educators and managers in your area.

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    I did it. It was in 1993 and I had previous experience as a Surgical Assistant and a combat medic in the Army with combat experience. I would suggest that you go to your facilities OR Educator and ask about things you should do in order to make the switch. NETWORK with OR Educators and staff nurses. Take a perioperative nursing course, again, the educator can help you find one. Good luck.

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