RN and/or Scrub Tech

[RN18]

Good Morning.

I am currently in an Associate Degree Nursing Program and know I want a job in the OR. I have observed the roles of both the Circulating Nurse and the Scrub Tech and ideally would love a job in which I could do both.

I am considering entering a year long Scrub Tech program immediately after I graduate from the Nursing Program. Once I get certified as a Scrub Tech, will I legally be able to work as a Scrub and an RN for different organizations? An RN in one and a Scrub in another?

I eventually want to continue getting my Bachelors but want to gain the experience of both while I'm doing so.

Any words of advise would be greatly appreciated.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

You do not need to complete an ST program. As an OR RN, it would be within your scope to scrub. You would need to research facilities and find out which ones actually utilize the RN in the scrub role. One local hospital is 70%RN and 30%ST; all RNs are required to scrub. My facility is about 50/50, with nurses rarely utilized in the scrub role- and those that are were the ones who were previously STs.

[Froggybelly]

If you want to scrub, choose an internship/ residency that teaches RNs to scrub. As a nurse, you should be willing to work as a scrub nurse, not a scrub tech. They are two totally separate entities.