Student Nurse hired as an OR tech

[Hgiov2021]

I am entering my second year towards my ADN and plan on obtaining my BSN. I was just hired as an OR patient care tech at one of our areas leading hospitals. I have no previous healthcare work experience and due to Covid we have been sorely lacking in person clinicals. I am an older student so my main goal for being hired in a hospital is to gain more experience and education to help once I graduate. I am very excited but also very nervous. This is a specialty I have an interest in once I obtain my licensing.  I am just curious as far job experience what other specialities does having this job experience help with?  As a nursing student what recommendations do you have while I am working as an OR tech? 

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

I hate to be Debbie Downer, but you will likely not have much patient interaction or care. The OR techs at my facility are responsible for helping to clean and mop rooms between cases, stock supplies, run for blood products, take specimens to the lab. Really, the only thing they do as far as patient care is help with patient positioning and moving. No vitals. However, patient positioning is actually higher risk than a lot of people think- these patients are anesthetized and can't say something isn't right, they can't reposition themselves to get pressure off the skin, etc. Pay attention to where those bony prominences are and how skin folds or "dangly bits" can be at risk in certain positions to be higher risk for skin breakdown.

[PDXOR, MSN, RN]

My recommendation is to use your job to leave a good impression on the nurses/scrub techs and management. Ask questions, be eager to learn, have a good attitude, etc. If they see that you're a good employee the chances of them wanting to hire you later down the road significantly increases. My hospital currently has a OR tech that is working on becoming a RN. She's a great employee and has made a really great impression while working here. She's pretty much guaranteed a job once she graduates.