trouble in OR land

MamaCheese · Aug 7, 2008

Hang in there. I felt exactly the same way when I reached the end of my internship. I never, ever cried during orientation but I cried on my way to work the first day I was on my own. But the truth is that you're never really on your own. There will always be people there to catch you when you fall. Sometimes the turnovers will be a bit longer than expected, someimes they'll have to wait a minute longer for their suture, but cases will get done and you will make it through. Take it one case at a time, one day at a time. And most importantly, realize that you are only one person and you can only do your very best. My turning point was when I finally accepted that things weren't always going to go like clockwork. I no longer get that deer-on-the-headlights look when they ask me for something I have to run for. I've been in the OR for about 14 months now and it truly took an entire year before I started feeling comfortable. I'm even getting over my fear of "winging it" in services I don't normally circulate. And you will develop supersonic hearing. Part of the supersonic hearing is becoming familiar with the cases and being able to anticipate what they're going to ask for. You'll get to the point where you're reaching for things before the words even escape their lips.

If you don't give yourself an entire year in the OR then you aren't giving it the chance it deserves. I Love, love, love my job!!!! :yeah:

ShariDCST · Aug 7, 2008

hi everyone,
just getting to the end of my internship and am having trouble feeling ready for everything. i have made mistakes nearly every day and the procedures are constantly new to me. i just started general surgery rotation and i'm finding it difficult. i'm trying to become more prepared and honestly want to know how many other new nurses have felt this way? everyone i ask says they are fine and there's always someone to ask for help. i'm still having problems with hearing everything... i swear or nurses have super sonic hearing! hopefully someone can give me advice because i'm really wondering if the or is meant for me. thanks

i found the hearing thing happened to me to when i first set foot in the ors - it comes down to the fact that we do, more than we ever thought we did, rely on lipreading as part of actual hearing. when you get in a room full of people wearing masks, that particular function is no longer available to you! takes a while to get used to it - but pay attention the next time you're in the or, and i think you'll see what i mean.

as for the rest, realize that you have learned a great deal in this period of time, and that nobody walks in the door knowing everything there is to know. everyone has a learning curve, some longer than others, and that you will most likely never be completely abandoned in the or. there will always be some kind of backup to help you get through the days. even your techs will be a good source of information in a lot of ways, so make sure you utilize that resource!

good luck - take a deeeeeeep breath, and relax! as a new tech, fresh out of school on my first job, it still took about one full year for me to become comfortable with my job, and our instructors told us that very thing when we asked while still in school. it applied to all of us, and i think to anyone who walks in the or new or fresh out of whatever training they have been in.

nursing twin, CNA · Aug 7, 2008

thanks:) I am at the point where I really need to hear this!! I've been given a list of goals to accomplish by next week to correct the mistakes that I've been making. It basically outlines what I have trouble with and that I need to be passed off on those things. They are basics but getting the whole flow is my problem. I'm with new preceptors that sometimes are sticklers! they want things done their way...and I've realized now that as long as I get what needs to be done than well I'm still doing my job. I can't rush at this point because it's not helping me at all. I'm going to collect myself and take this as good criticism because I want to do my job well also. I was just sitting during the meeting and thinking....I have my license and there are always other areas. But I think that I need to give this my honest too goodness try! I'll never know what I could be missing out on and I will always think of what could have been. :confused:

MamaCheese · Aug 7, 2008

Are you having trouble with specific things or just getting the room set up and running? When I was being precepted I always did things the way my preceptor wanted them done. It wasn't worth the aggravation of butting heads with them over it.

at sea · Aug 7, 2008

Hi everyone,
just getting to the end of my internship and am having trouble feeling ready for everything. I have made mistakes nearly every day and the procedures are constantly new to me. I just started general surgery rotation and I'm finding it difficult. I'm trying to become more prepared and honestly want to know how many other new nurses have felt this way? Everyone I ask says they are fine and there's always someone to ask for help. I'm still having problems with hearing everything... I swear OR nurses have super sonic hearing! hopefully someone can give me advice because I'm really wondering if the OR is meant for me. thanks

Hang in there Nursing Twin! I've been in the OR for 16 years. I'm still learning! I learn something new just about everyday! And listen, the OR is highly technical. I mean seriously!! There is SO MUCH to learn. You can't possibly learn it all in the internship!! And don't forget ALL the surgeons and ALL their little preferences. I mean my GOD! Seriously, when I started, I was put with a different Circulator every day and learned like 20 different ways to prep the abdomen. Come on, right?

Pick up the best from everyone you work with, and I mean everyone! Take all the good stuff that you like and agree with and soon you will have your super style of doing things and getting the job done! Just remember that's it's all about patient safety first! Preferences are a distant second! It sounds like you are dead set on perfection and that is going to make you a great OR nurse!

Rae83 · Aug 15, 2008

Stick with it and give yourself time to adjust :-) I have been in the OR for a little over 2 years now and it really does take a year to get into the swing of things and be confident in your abilities. One of these days things will just "click". For me it was like someone flipped a switch and I knew I was finally getting it. Everyone has their own way of doing things in the OR and trust me there are many ways to do things and get the same results in the end just keep your patients safety and well being at the top of your priorities and the rest will come. I agree that hearing the surgeons gets easier once you get used to what they are going to be asking for. Give it more time

Fun2, BSN, RN · Aug 16, 2008

I was told that, eventually, you develop an "OR Ear". You will work with certain doctors mainly, and you will be able to decipher their voice. On things you can't understand, you simply ask for clarification.

They may get upset, but it's better for them to be upset r/t clarification, than a huge mistake. :)

Best of luck to you.