Typical OR shifts

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One reason nursing interest me is it is a job a can do that I can hopefully get a 3-11 shift or something similar so that I can be home with my children most of the day. I would love to become a scrub nurse, but it doesn't seem like a position that would offer me evening hours. Do hospitals typically do surgeries only in the daytime? Or is something in the evenings and weekends a possibility? Also, how common are part-time jobs in OR's? Thank you.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

It would depend where you apply. I work in a level 2 trauma center, and we are staffed 24/7/365. Our scheduled cases are supposed to be finished by 1730, and the rest of the day is filled with add on cases- fracture management, appendectomies, lap choles, etc. Part time is possible, several nurses I work with only work 4 days a week, 8 hour shifts. One of the things you would want to check would be experience requirements. Some ORs want the more experienced nurses on shifts where there are less people working and traumas/complicated emergency cases are happening. My hospital has a few dedicated evening shifters, and then the remaining shifts are filled with those lowest on the seniority list. (Not something I necessarily agree with- ortho traumas come in and those who are newest have no idea what they are doing)

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Specializes in OR.

We are a 19 room OR and are staffed 24/7. We have another larger trauma center in town so we staff lightly on the evening and overnight shift since we see very little trauma. We staff about a dozen or so 3-11 people and just one tech and nurse on overnight with a backup call team. I would imagine that any OR that is staffed 24/7 is going to have a 3-11 shift.

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Thank you both for your replies, that is very helpful.

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