Tall OR nurses?

[ReconRN]

I am graduating from my nursing program from USM here in Maine next year and one of the Portland hospitals has an OR nurse internship and I am considering applying. The problem being, I straight Cath a patient the other day and bending over the bed for that short period of time had my back on fire. I am a 50 yr old 6ft 3in male and I wonder if OR nursing is a good fit for a tall person. 

[Jeckrn1, ADN, BSN]

It is, I am 5’8 and at times wished I was taller. Some items to plug-in are high up and moving a patient between the OR bed and gurney height helps. 

[RickyRescueRN, BSN, RN]

I have a colleague who is 6'5 and he manages fine (though he is a lot younger than I) . He does bump his head on the lights and booms with video screens from time to time, but otherwise I've not heard him complain that it is a disadvantage . Remember the table can always be raised.

[ETA-RN, ADN, RN]

I'm 6', 49 years old/young and I can relate. I've just started as an RN and am working in Pre-op before I transition to the OR. We have no stools in pre-op and starting IVs isn't easy when the beds have to be raised all the way. It still doesn't seem high enough.

Definitely watch your head though...no telling how many times I've hit mine on things over the years doing xray. Now, most of the time I usually look up when standing from a kneeling position.

[dianah, ASN]

Do what you can to be comfortable when starting IVs or doing straight caths.  Anything to preserve your back!  Maybe something to bring up at staff meetings?

[Silver_Rik, ASN, RN]

Im 6’ tall, 54 years old. The bed height can be adjusted. The main thing for me is being careful not to bump my head on all the booms and equipment hanging overhead. I’ve known some OR staff who got concussed or facial injuries getting hit by equipment 

[ReconRN]

On 3/21/2021 at 1:04 PM, dianah said:

Do what you can to be comfortable when starting IVs or doing straight caths.  Anything to preserve your back!  Maybe something to bring up at staff meetings?

Thank you for the info, I am not yet a nurse. I graduate next year with my BSN and I will be 51yrs old. I am just thinking about what type of nursing I want to do and what interests me. I love surgery and how they are performed so this is why I am considering OR nurse.

[Suzanne lemmon]

I am 5 ft tall and the bed always need adjusted. What position should it be left

[Kooky Korky, BSN, RN]

On 3/16/2021 at 6:37 PM, RickyRescueRN said:

I have a colleague who is 6'5 and he manages fine (though he is a lot younger than I) . He does bump his head on the lights and booms with video screens from time to time, but otherwise I've not heard him complain that it is a disadvantage . Remember the table can always be raised.

It is the surgeon who determines the necessary table height.  Perhaps you are referring to the scrub nurse's Mayo stand, though.

On 3/26/2021 at 10:16 AM, Will71 said:

Thank you for the info, I am not yet a nurse. I graduate next year with my BSN and I will be 51yrs old. I am just thinking about what type of nursing I want to do and what interests me. I love surgery and how they are performed so this is why I am considering OR nurse.

Sit down to do things when possible, instead of bending over.

[Halina13]

Beds go up and down. The rule in surgery is the bed is supposed to be at the level of the tallest person but it is always the surgeon who decides. But that's only relevant if you are scrubbed in. If you are the circulator then you can decide bed height for putting in a catheter. I think you will have advantages in the OR being tall. Good luck!  There isn't any other kind of nursing I want to do. The internship will be a challenge, or rather it should be.  There is a LOT to learn to just get started and you probably got very little to none in nursing school or anywhere else. But it's worth it.