I have been an OR nurse for 1.5 years. I really enjoy my job and am very good at it, however, I feel like it’s time for a change. I went to the OR straight out of nursing school because I have always loved working with surgical patients. After 1.5 years, I still find the OR interesting and challenging, but often find myself thinking about other areas of nursing like PACU, ICU, med-surg. I want to try other areas of nursing in order to figure out if the OR is where I want to be. When I express this desire to my coworkers and nurse friends, the reaction is pretty much negative. They tell me things like “the grass isn’t greener” or I’ll come across as “indecisive and unmotivated” if I change specialties. Despite all the negative reactions, a month ago, I applied to a few non-OR jobs. Well, I have never received job rejections so fast (they were ICUs and PCUs). I was invited to interview for the PACU but it was an awful experience. The minute the interview started, they told me that I was not qualified for the job and spent the rest of the interview essentially insulting me. Needless to say, I left the interview feeling frustrated and discouraged. So now I’m beginning to think that recruiters and hiring managers might actually view my desire to change specialties as “indecisive and unmotivated”. That is why I am turning to all of you for advice, any sort of helpful feedback.
I am feeling extremely disheartened so I could use some inspiration.
I don't think you're indecisive or unmotivated, but you're not qualified for ICU. I would think you would be able to find med/surg, tele jobs as that is considered an entry level nursing job, and the turnover is so high. PACU won't give you a real bedside nursing experience either. You give pain meds and move on to the next patient. Your OR experience is valuable as a PACU nurse, but to really get a feel as a bedside nurse you should move away from the OR entirely. I would say try to get on as at least a tele nurse where you are monitoring an EKG. then you could move onto ICU if you really want to do hands-on in depth nursing. If you could do a an ICU step-down unit that would give you some solid bedside skills and position you better for more critical care nursing jobs, but maybe harder to land one.
This! I agree with murseman. I worked in the OR as a circulator for about six months and left because it just wasn't for me. I was stressed by the holier than thou surgeons and bored because I basically did patient interviews, preps, set up rooms, and charted when I wasn't grabbing supplies during surgeries. You are not using hardly any skills you will need for any of the positions you're interested in. I'm not saying working in the OR is easy at all. There is SO much to learn and know, it can be overwhelming but just in a different way.
Before you jump ship since you seem to really like your job (which many nurses look for years to find) why don't you shadow a nurse for half a shift in some different areas on your days off. That will give you a good idea of what's entailed and if it interests you before you go through all the trouble of finding a new position!
OR traveler here. Perhaps you just have itchy feet! Travel relieves those symptoms, and makes the OR much more challenging learning the preferences of new surgeons, anesthesia, staff; patient flow, different services and new procedures, and charting software. Not easy, and in many assignments, it takes a couple weeks for minimal functionality, far more time than.
But back to switching specialties, it sure doesn't sound like you are in a teaching hospital (which is an optimal first staff job no matter how sure you are of a lessor job being right). Small hospitals makes switching specialties internally very difficult. Regardless of your current position, you should stay a minimum of 2 years, particularly in your first job. Anything less will make you look bad to any prospective employer (also a minimum to travel).
If you really have your heart in a more clinical specialty, put some energy into it! Take a critical care class. Read a few books. Shadow some nurses as someone else suggested.Your performance at interviews will get much better showing enthusiasm, giving reasons, and showing that you are actively working towards a career in a new specialty.
You may be then able to answer some clinical questions - here is one I failed at an interview as a new grad (simple in hindsight): You are taking care of infant with an a-line and notice blood dripping on the floor. What is your first action?
Consider applying at a lot of teaching hospitals and be prepared to move out of state to achieve your goal.
Specializes in Neurosciences, stepdown, acute rehab, LTC.
I would do med surg if I was you, it can help you get used to the floors and learn what you want to do. It will open more doors if you want to do something else later
RatherBHiking, BSN, RN
592 Posts
This! I agree with murseman. I worked in the OR as a circulator for about six months and left because it just wasn't for me. I was stressed by the holier than thou surgeons and bored because I basically did patient interviews, preps, set up rooms, and charted when I wasn't grabbing supplies during surgeries. You are not using hardly any skills you will need for any of the positions you're interested in. I'm not saying working in the OR is easy at all. There is SO much to learn and know, it can be overwhelming but just in a different way.
Before you jump ship since you seem to really like your job (which many nurses look for years to find) why don't you shadow a nurse for half a shift in some different areas on your days off. That will give you a good idea of what's entailed and if it interests you before you go through all the trouble of finding a new position!