Time on your feet? Circulating..

hard to say, I agree, it depends on the case and your assignment every single day. if you have 7-8 small cases you'll run your a** off, but if you have 1-2 longer cases, there is usually more time to sit. so unless you join a speciality team, it usually varies a lot

I never had plantar fasciitis until I started circulating in the OR! Depending on your shift, surgical specialty, and case load at the hospital or surgery center you are at, you could either be doing a lot of standing in one place (charting and documentation), or running for instruments/equipment, going to interview the patient pre-operatively. Most days I get over 10,000 steps on my fitbit and sometimes I even exceed 15,000! But I work in a super busy level one trauma center where the OR's are split between two different floors. What helped me was buying shoes via Amazon prime with free shipping/free returns. That way if I ordered them and they did not fit or felt uncomfortable wearing them around the house/standing doing dishes, I could just return them no questions asked. Most chain retailers ie: The Walking Company offers discounts to medical professionals on shoes. Just bring your hospital badge :)

After my plantar fasciitis developed I also made sure I was able to get prescribed some new custom molded orthotics for my shoes, as most healthcare worker's insurance policies cover them as a necessary medical expensive. Not everyone's foot is the same but I have had the best luck with Super Birki's with my custom inserts and the Paloma style of Allegrias. Good Luck!

I was considering this as a career change. I have a very thin footpad causing problems so I am not going to put extra stress on my foot. Remaining upright is more important. Northwest Foot & Ankle | Natural Care for Active Feet.

I am going to try his stuff.

Look on youtube for a video called Plantar Fasciitis or Fasciosis? User name: Correct Toes

I will usually average 12-15,000 steps per shift. I prefer cases that are around 2-3 hours though, so a lot of walking could be avoided by getting into a subspecialty with really long cases. If I'm floating as an extra nurse, I may get 18-19,000 steps in a 10-hour shift. There is a lot of variability, so look at the size of your facility and proximity to resources (preoperative area, PACU, SPD, supply area, etc) before deciding on an OR.