Wannabe OR nurse

[mistiffy]

Hi all! I am a pre-nursing student and I want to work in the OR when I get my RN, and I was just wondering what routes are available to go after you get your rn to get you as involved as possible without being a surgeon? Can NPs or PAs assist surgeons and work with them? Im very new at this! Thanks for all your help, guys!

[krazy_coconuts]

I work as a CNA on a cardiac floor and I know that our PAs sometimes assist the thoracic surgeons. I'm sure its the same way with NPs.

[mikethern]

RN's work full time in the operating room.

PA's and NP's can work in the operating room a couple days a week, but usually spend most of their time outside the operating room.

If you want to become an operating room nurse, I would write to operating rooms right now and tell them that you want to work there as an RN in the future and ask them what can you do now to make it happen. You might want to try to get a job there now such as nursing assistant or scrub tech. That will definitely get your foot in the door.

Many operating rooms will hire new RN's right out of nursing school with no operating room experience, but just in case your local operating room is not hiring new nurses, I would try to get your foot in the door now.