stevierae or anyone. San Francisco OR's

suzanne4, RN · Feb 13, 2006

She works several hours north of San Francisco in a little town, never in SF area as far as I know.

Realgains · Feb 13, 2006

Oh.....I see :)

But she may know stuff about the SF OR's too....and it would be good to hear about that little town OR as well I think.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 13, 2006

I live closer to SF and have worked OR for years, but cannot tell you one thing about the ORs there.

Without having worked there and recently, it is hard for either of us to give you input on specifics. Things can change such as management, administration, etc., in just a blink of an eye. And that can make major changes on how you are going to like a place.

Best thing is always to take a travel position to the area and see how you like it, plus you will hear up close about different things being done at different facilities in the area. That would be your safest and easiest way to do it. And to find something that fits you.

Specialties are different among nurses, and even OR nurses. My two favorite areas are hearts and neuro-surg, but those two are not done all over. So you also need to find the facility that does the areas that you like.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 13, 2006

It is also going to depend on how much experience that you have, and in what areas of the OR.

Do you want a facility that is completely computerized? 100% paper documentation, or somewhere in between? Teaching facility, or non-teaching? Large facility or small? Are you able to take call or not take call?

Realgains · Feb 13, 2006

It is also going to depend on how much experience that you have, and in what areas of the OR.
Do you want a facility that is completely computerized? 100% paper documentation, or somewhere in between? Teaching facility, or non-teaching? Large facility or small? Are you able to take call or not take call?

I have 16 years in the OR...scrub and circ everything except hearts.

Paper or computers ,I don't care.

Any type of facilty really.

Call sure.....half of ones base pay makes it okay.

I like ortho the most I guess.

Maybe someone can "cime in" that works in one of the bay area hospitals or has recently done a travel contract.

By "San Francisco" I actually meant bay area.

suzanne4, RN · Feb 15, 2006

Now someone can come along and provide a list of facilities that would work for you. It is hard when someone just asks about ORs.

stevierae · Sep 7, 2006

LOL!! I haven't been here in quite a while---got kinda caught up on political blogs, and with working.

Actually, yes, I do work in SF, occasionally, but not so much clinically anymore--these days, I work as a consultant. However, when I did work there, I worked at UCSF Mt. Zion and at CPMC in Pacific Heights. Both are great places for a travel assignment or working registry. Both do a large volume of spinal instrumentation & cancer surgeries; CPMC does bariatric surgery and liver and kidney transplants, as well as open hearts. Both have surgical residents. If you choose to take call, it's probably easier, more laid back call at UCSF Mt. Zion. I haven't worked at the main campus of UCSF (Moffitt) which is much, much bigger, but I've heard it's pretty fun. Now, the other campus of CPMC--Davies--up in the Castro is smaller--but they are renowned for limb reattachment surgeries.

I've also worked at Kaiser in Oakland--but not the one in SF. All Kaiser hospitals in Northern CA have the same fine union--CNA. Their pay is usually top of the scale.

Re: time and a half after 8 hours in any workday day--all hospitals do--it's state law. HOWEVER, if you are a traveler, you need to make real sure your travel company (who issues your paycheck) doesn't try to get around that law--most companies are good about it, but some try to insist that they don't have to honor it--they always have some lame excuse or another (I worked for one who said that they only had to pay me the way I'd be paid in my HOME state, which is not CA.) Don't let them get away with this--go with another travel company (CPMC had contacts with over 20 travel companies when I was there) and/or file a complaint with the state labor board.