New Grad Nurse to OR position???

Nurses General Nursing

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I have a year and a half to go until I graduate nursing school, but I have been thinking of where I would like to work once I graduate. I am VERY interested in the ER and especially the OR & PACU, but do they hire new grads for the OR? Is there any special programs I can take over the summer to better my chances? I am just daydreaming about it all now :happy: of course since my main focus is just making it through the program, but I would like to have an idea for the path I need to take to make this happen.

Thank you!!

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Specializes in critical care, ER,ICU, CVSURG, CCU.

Normally I would say no......

But in 1972, when I graduated my RN program...one of my friends started in the oR......she was still there in 2011, when I had my last shoulder replacement...

It worked with new grads in ER, they actually did quite well....

I started out in CCU, major teaching hospital, and moonlighted in ER.......

I'm not sure that these speciality units don't, hone our critical thinking skills...

Maybe it's because I like to teach and bring a new graduate up to par.....as I know today's nursing programs do not have the clinical exposure, my diploma program did....

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I just got hired into the ER I did my final precepting in. I am basically a new grad, 7 months on a Tele floor. I had to leave the Tele job due to not enough hours, constantly being canceled. So I applied for the ER spot on a whim. What got me the interview was that I precepted there. So definitely try to get placed for that where you want to end up. Seems to be a good foot in the door.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

PACU is not a place for new grads- you would benefit from critical care experience and most job postings will outright require it.

OR will accept new grads in many places. OR nursing is such a foreign concept to most nursing specialties that even nurses with experience are pretty much on the same level as a new grad. It's also a speciality where you either hate it and get out ASAP or stay in it until retirement. There is really nothing you could do to help, as a good OR will provide a very thorough orientation- mine does 24 weeks with a 1 on 1 preceptor and an additional 8 solo in the room but with a nurse assigned to be a resource should issues arise.

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