Vistied OR today!

[KES]

I finally visited the OR today during my clincial. It was really cool. I saw a total knee replacement. I was wondering, do hospitals have OR internships? If so, what woukd be the role of the intern? Thanks.

[poet]

There are hospitals that do offer perioperative internship programs. Check with HR at the hospital where you did your rotation. You could also speak with a nurse educator at any hospital to find out if they offer an internship program for the OR. You would also be a better candidate if you have some med/surg experience. An internship program for periop is usually 6 months of intense training within the hospital. The program usually consist of both theory and clinical practice.Your role as an intern is no different from the nurses with whom you would be buddied up with, you are there to learn but you are also held accountable as a nurse. The latter part of the internship is where you are shadowed by another nurse when circulating cases and by a scrub tech or nurse whenever scrubbing cases. I would highly recommend talking to other OR nurses and spending a full day or two with a OR nurse before making a decision. I do agree that the OR can be facinating but there is so much more to take into account. Self-awareness is vital when dealing with the surgical team. Hope I helped?? GOOD LUCK:)

[SFCardiacRN]

Look for a new grad program. I was "hooked" after viewing my first surgery and skipped med-surg alltogether.

[Ferret]

Look for a new grad program. I was "hooked" after viewing my first surgery and skipped med-surg alltogether.

Operating Theatres are one of those things you either love or hate. If you love it, go for it, but focusing on the OR tends to make it hard to go back to the wards, as theatres require a very different set of skills. I was an EN in theatres, finished my degree, skipped a newgrad program in favour of a GradCert in Perioperative nursing. I've wondered from time to time if there are other areas of nursing that I would enjoy, but realise that on the ward I would feel as useless as the proverbial mammary glands on a bull for quite a while before I got into the swing of things.

Ferret