Switching to OR after 6 years of cardiac nursing

[luv2shopp85]

I've been looking for a change in my nursing career. I have 6 years of experience in med/surg, float pool, and cardiac/intermediate care. I wanted to give OR nursing a try. Is it really ALL standing for 12 hours? I sometimes get heel pain when working on the floor. I"ve used inserts and bought really comfortable shoes which help for the most part. I think I read somewhere that the circulating nurse does not stand as much as the scrub nurse. DO you rotate these positions? ANy information would be greatly appreciated.

I just am tired of floor nursing, dealing with family members, and the stress. It's very hard to deal with all the direct admissions we get and not having an admission nurse/team.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

No, you won't be standing for the full 12 hours, or at least you shouldn't be. Yes, the circulator has the opportunity to sit while documenting. The scrub person will be standing for the duration of the setup, surgery, and teardown but may have the opportunity to sit briefly in between surgeries. Whether the scrub/circulator rotate roles depends on the facility and how they staff. At my facility, this is almost always impossible as the circulator absolutely must be an RN and the scrub person is almost always a surgical technologist who is not permitted to circulate.

As for not dealing with families, depending on the specialty and the expectations you may still have to work with them. I work in cardiothoracic surgery, and our cases can run a good 8 or more hours. One of the expectations of the circulators is that when relieved for a break or lunch we will take a few extra minutes and give the family a face-to-face update if they are in the waiting room. I've had some "interesting" interactions with family members. Not to mention that the patients will have family members with them in the preop area.

Tips for staying comfortable:

-buy comfortable shoes. this doesn't necessarily mean the most popular/expensive brands, but at least for a lot of the nurses/STs that I work with means a pair of $20-$80 sneakers. much cheaper to replace when completely soaked in body fluids

-don't just stand in place when scrubbed- shift weight from side to side, prop one foot up on a step stool or the base of the OR bed

I think there are some other older threads around with more tips if you do a search for them.

[Jules.RN]

I've been in ER for the past 4 years and a floor nurse before that. I've come to a point where I wanted a change in my career and decided to pursue OR nursing. Before taking a dive into OR nursing, I recommend doing a shadow/observation shift if you are able to do so - I did this before I made my decision. It will allow you to have a better idea of how the flow of OR works and the different roles the nurse has. I've recently completed my training (additional schooling/certification - depends on the institution if required) and about to start in the OR shortly.

As for the hours, it also depends on the institution - at my institution the nurses work 8 hour shifts. Depending on the case, will depend on how long the scrub nurse stands - could be 1-2 hours or even 8+ hours. As for the different roles, at my institution there are only RNs therefore nurses scrub or circulate. I'm still learning the ropes of the OR and excited for this new path in my career. Good luck with your decision!