Hi, I've posted here a time or two. I'm currently a med/surg nurse but have an interview soon for an OR position. I've always wanted to be an OR nurse since nursing school, so really hoping to get the job.
Anyway, I was thinking -- ya know, I hear a lot less complaining in general from OR nurses about their job than from other specialties. I mean, I know there are "positives" and "negatives" about any job on earth, but in general, I have noticed that fewer OR nurses seem to be disgruntled. I know people in many other areas of nursing, and I also know some OR nurses ... and the OR nurses I know really never complain about their jobs. In fact, the ones I know speak positively about their jobs. I know there are hard days in the OR, as with anywhere, but there just seems to be something about OR that (for the most part) results in more contentment than other areas.
In med-surg, I cannot tell you how many people are disgruntled, overworked, not happy, and overall have lots of complaints. And I also know people in step-down and ICU who feel the same way. And yet, the OR nurses I know seem to have more "pep in their step" and actually say things like "I love my job." I have never heard anyone on my med-surg floor utter those words! Actually the opposite.
Thanks so much, Sandra CVRN. Over the years, as my understanding of how things worked in the OR, I worked as a preceptor, and this was the best explanation I could try to come up so that new RN's, SN's, SST's, etc, had something to grab onto as method of understanding the seeming chaos around them.
lostgrl85 - I am very much interested in working the OR. May I ask, where did you graduate? Also, do you think I would have a shot at getting in with a BS or AS? Does it even matter? I got accepted to an AS program, and I'm still waiting to hear back from Mercer and Kennesaw State (both BSN). May I also ask, where you work? (you can send me a private msg. on that one if you like.)
I'm a Diploma in Nursing, a long lost credential. I have a BA and half a Master's in Anthropology. I went to a hospital school of nursing. I recommend that that if you can afford it, go for the BSN. More and more hospitals want BSN's as entry level if they are looking for magnet status. Plus if you ever decide to go for an advanced degree, you don't have to go back and do the ADN to BSN thing.
As for will your degree make a difference once you get hired, just to get into the OR, that won't make any difference than for working on the floor, other speciality areas, etc.
I went through a four month OR residency, then went through another month or two orientation. This was at a small hospital(12 room OR). I recommend checking out hospitals in your area(or if you want to move, on that area), and look for OR residency programs. Many of them do not require any floor or critical care time after school; graduate and go zip to the OR. If the hospital in question only takes their own employees, and they want you to have experience, I suggest a year or two in Critical Care.
If you have a BSN and Critical care experience, you could go to CRNA(nurse anesthesia) school which is a Master's program. YOU MUST have a BSN to try CRNA school. I know; I've tried like crazy to find a way to advance without doing the BSN thing. That's another story altogether. That's once you are in the OR, decide you like it and want to do anesthesia- it pays about $125K to start out of school at this time. Good money, much more autonomy, and if you can stand snot, saliva bubbles, and stomach contents....along with the wornderful challenges of putting in a lines, central lines, various types of blocks, working possibly in open heart, or with pediatics, etc. THAT"S why you need to start with the BSN, if you can.
Or you can get an MSN in Education and become an OR nurse educator, manager, etc.
I'd suggest looking at a university medical center. The big places generally give you six months in class, then once you go to your team, another three to six months orientation.
Please feel free to contact me privately if you like to ask anything specific.
heogog53 - thanks so much for all the info! i have a bachelors degree in architecture, and it seems that most of the schools in my area will take alot of my credits leaving me with only 2 years to get a bsn. just don't think that i could afford mercer right now, and i really need to get back to the work force asap! (also i haven't gotten into a bsn as yet.) so, i'm glad that asn vs bsn doesn't make a difference right now. i would like to purse my bsn or msn later (online) and then maybe pursue cnor or first assistant in the future.
Heogog53
200 Posts
Thanks so much, Sandra CVRN. Over the years, as my understanding of how things worked in the OR, I worked as a preceptor, and this was the best explanation I could try to come up so that new RN's, SN's, SST's, etc, had something to grab onto as method of understanding the seeming chaos around them.