Surgical Tech to RN

[JM87]

Any advice on getting as close to surgery without being an actual surgeon?

I've had my mind set on becoming a nurse eventually leading to something like an OR Nurse, but want to have a backup plan if Nursing school takes a bit of time to get into.

I've looked into becoming a Surgical Tech, and in Connecticut (where I live) the pay rates seem to be higher than most areas of the country.

Would I be better off just waiting to get into Nursing school and go from there?

[iShaybie, ADN]

Following !! :)

[dorkypanda]

Interesting! I have a classmate who is a surgical tech for 20 years but is still working as one while going for their nursing degree.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

Unless you scrub as an RN (which a lot do) you won't be "in the action" in the OR. The circulating nurse has different responsibilities like positioning, prepping etc. I scrubbed for years and then went back to nursing school while working full time in the OR. I still get to scrub though:)

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Definitely research the facilities in your area or the area in which you want to work. In my facility, it is very rare that a nurse will scrub in- they are not trained to do so, and the ones that do were former STs who went back to school. One downside of the ST route is that it is a limited role as to what areas you can work in- OR, endo, ambulatory surgery centers, etc. Nursing, if you find you don't like the job, has a multitude of different specialty options.

[cirqul8r]

A lot depends on where you work/live. Almost no OR will hire an RN straight out of school, without some kind of training in the OR. In the Seattle area, there is a Consortium thru UW, new grads or even experienced RNs wanting to switch over to the OR train thru them (along with a paid position in one of the area hospitals) by following a preceptor for however long the program is.

Personally, I think you'd be a better OR nurse/circulator if you've had some scrub experience. If there isn't an OR training program in your area, I'd recommend going the ST route first, if you can afford the time and money.

I got lucky; I got into a program straight out of nursing school, and they also taught us how to scrub (we learned the scrub role first so we'd understand better). Good luck whichever route you choose. I love the OR, wouldn't want to be a nurse anywhere else. Granted, there are days I hate my job, butI love what I do.

[springchick1, ADN, RN]

A lot depends on where you work/live. Almost no OR will hire an RN straight out of school, without some kind of training in the OR. In the Seattle area, there is a Consortium thru UW, new grads or even experienced RNs wanting to switch over to the OR train thru them (along with a paid position in one of the area hospitals) by following a preceptor for however long the program is.

This is definitely true. My manager hires more new grads than people with experience so that she can train them how she wants and doesn't have to try and break any bad habits. So it really does just depend on the area.

Also, all of our nurses learn to scrub. All of them. You either learn on orientation or the ones that have been there longer, they will be taught at some point.

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

I checked with a nurse friend who is a First Assist instructor. She says that ST to RN is a great pathway if you are sure you want to work in perioperative nursing. ... and ditto the comment on STs doing all the "scrubbing in" in many facilities.

[JM87]

I'm applying for a few BSN accelerated programs at the end of the summer, figured might as well try to get into a BSN program, if all else fails the ST path sounds quite appealing.