thinking of switching from main to outpatient

[Lasoniamacaroni]

hello...been doing the main o.r. thing for 5 years. pretty much seen it all. Getting tired of the overtime, call, weekends,etc... We turn into a trauma center on offshifts but we aren't and we don't staff as such either. I am thinking of making the move to an outpatient o.r. Who else has made this move? I am a little nervous that I may be bored..only because everyday life presently consists of 80 units of blood during a case LOL

thanks

[Argo]

You might get bored but wont know until you try.

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

I have often thought of this. When I looked into going to our outpatient surgical center, I found that their pay rate was $5 less an hour than what I am currently making at the Main OR. When I asked about this pay cut, they told me that since no call, no weekends and no holidays were required of the staff, that a pay cut was the downside to the perks of not having the extra responsibilities. I just could not bring myself to take such a heavy pay cut, so I will keep on at the Main. Traumas and all!

[PetiteOpRN]

I work at an outpatient center PRN and a trauma center full time.

I don't think the outpatient center is boring, just different. I don't run 8 miles in the outpatient center, for one.

[TakeTwoAspirin, MSN, RN, APRN]

I have often thought of this. When I looked into going to our outpatient surgical center, I found that their pay rate was $5 less an hour than what I am currently making at the Main OR. When I asked about this pay cut, they told me that since no call, no weekends and no holidays were required of the staff, that a pay cut was the downside to the perks of not having the extra responsibilities. I just could not bring myself to take such a heavy pay cut, so I will keep on at the Main. Traumas and all!

I think that's a crock! The basic job is the same whether you are at a trauma center doing routine cases (which for the most part is the case for many of the rooms in a trauma center - unless you are a dedicated level one) or a surgery center doing routine cases. The call, weekends and holidays are compensated for in addition to our basic work-week pay in call pay, shift differentials, etc. In other words, the extra responsibilities of the OR are compensated for in extra

Many of the surgery centers around where I am actually pay a little higher to surg center nurses to compensate them for not having the ability to earn extra in incentives.

[MsLeylaBar]

Just try it, maybe you will like it.

I am used to big, long cases and that's the way I like it. When I was a travel nurse, one assigment was in a surgery center and my 1st day, I have never felt so tired in my life. It was just non stop in and out of the room with all these little cases.

It's boring in a way that it is always the same little case day in and day out, a bunch of tonsils, hernias, breast biopsies, knee scopes etc....but I think it is hard work too. But of course, there's the no weekend, no call advantage.

[Trinity,RN]

Hi,

I worked in the main OR for 8 yrs. 7 of which I did open-hearts....I loved it but did get burned out quickly. I definitely didn't enjoy the weekends, call or holidays. Even though I was one of the two on-call heart nurses we got called in a lot for general back-up...A LOT!! And although the $$ was good I just didn't see why I should make that much and not have the life to enjoy it. I moved to another city earlier this yr. and swore I wouldn't do the same again, but since I really liked surgery I applied at surgery centers instead. The one I am working at now is just as busy as the main (case-wise) without the trauma and sicker patients. You need to consider that some outpatient surgery centers only do smaller cases like plastics, ENT, etc. I can see how that would get boring. Where I am at our main cases are urology, general, scopes (knees, shoulders ..) and opthalmic, which I'm learning. With Opthalmic, its easy but fast, so you do run around a lot. In the long run, I LOVE having all this time off even though I am getting pd. 3 $ less...I can actually have a life AND do what I love. Also, I have recenty become a CLNC so that will make up the $$ part. Sorry so lengthy and I hope it helps.

Have a Merry Xmas!!!

[nursinadream]

There was a pay difference in a large institution where I worked too. That was VERY dissaftisfying, though lucky for me, I was already in out patient, so the cuts came for those who transferred in after me. I agree with what has been said above. In my outpatient center we cross trained. Well, the OR nurses did anyway. I did PACU, admissions and pre proceedure planning. That offers a nice variety and makes you more marketable in the future.

Deb