Returning to OR circulator position after being NP. Yikes.

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Specializes in Surgery.

Hey there—-so I am a surgical NP. I’m an RNFA and it’s been a great job. Previously I had been an OR nurse both scrubbing and circulating but that was several years ago. Lately, I have been very interested in taking on a local travel assignment , specifically first assist assignments, but they are nearly impossible to find.

FF recently, I’ve been interested in expanding my search , which has led me back to a OR nurse positions. I’m interviewing for a strictly OR circulator position—-Is this a terrible idea haha or do you think it’ll be like riding a bike? I don’t want make a complete jacka$$ of myself, but then again I still spend a part of every day in the OR, so how much will I have forgotten ?

Thanks for your feedback 

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Time will tell.  Best wishes

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Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

It will come back to you fast. You would be a great asset to any time as you scrub as well . I know many hospitals are looking for nurses who scrub and circulate as traveller. Best of luck.

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Specializes in Peds CVICU.

Hey! I'm about half a year late to this post but I'm interested to hear how your job hunt turned out. I'm currently in peds CVICU and heading to peri-op 101 next month. Love the current work but the inpatient schedule doesn't work with what I have going on in life at the moment. Also love watching our bedside OR teams operate - surgeon, RNFA, circulator and a scrub show up and work miracles for us. Hope to join them someday. 

For what it's worth, I've seen a lot of RNFA & circulator jobs posted on Nomad lately. It seems to have overtaken the critical care & ED postings now that we're in the warm months. 

Let us know what you found!

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Specializes in Surgery.
HRoark64 said:

Hey! I'm about half a year late to this post but I'm interested to hear how your job hunt turned out. I'm currently in peds CVICU and heading to peri-op 101 next month. Love the current work but the inpatient schedule doesn't work with what I have going on in life at the moment. Also love watching our bedside OR teams operate - surgeon, RNFA, circulator and a scrub show up and work miracles for us. Hope to join them someday. 

For what it's worth, I've seen a lot of RNFA & circulator jobs posted on Nomad lately. It seems to have overtaken the critical care & ED postings now that we're in the warm months. 

Let us know what you found!

I didn't last more than a few months! The learning curve was steeeep and I was only there a few times per month so was not making good progress They wanted to throw me on the schedule! Plus the hospital had big time staffing problems and it just wasn't worth the added stress it in the end. 

Good luck to you ?

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Specializes in Operating Room.

Could I ask what your path to becoming a surgical NP was? I am currently a circulator with BSN and my plan was to do 2 years then start RNFA training but now I'm wondering if NP is the route I should be taking. I definitely want to be in the OR but would like to be more involved. My hospital currently doesn't do scrub training for our nurses. 

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