Want to move to the OR

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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

I work in 2 different units: cardiac and stroke (include but not limited to post CABG, post cardiac cath--I pull out sheaths too, stroke, heart failure, advanced heart failure, transplant rejection, and of course stroke). I have ACLS and BLS. I like my job--just don't think it's where I belong.

I've always wanted to be in the OR. I applied for some OR new grad positions right out of school, but they were very difficult to get into. What do OR nurse managers look for in someone with no OR experience but have acute care experience? It seems like OR positions require 1 to 2 years OR experience. At least from the ones I looked at. Thanks for all your suggestions.

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Specializes in Peri-Op.

Be warned that in the OR you will not have the same patient/nurse relationship as you do working in a unit...... they will probably not even remember you the next day and are asleep 95% of your time with the...... With that......

I look for someone that is energetic and learns quickly, they must have a good reference coming in if they have no experience. Our local OR training program kind of trains nurses to be LAZY, dont be lazy.... I have spent my adult life in the OR and I have a really hard time with lazy nurses working for me.... Be willing to turn rooms over(cleaning, taking out trash, mopping, making anesthesia machines ready......), transporting patients to and from your unit as needed, constantly learning new things and wanting to absorb them. To be honest I have 12 RNs working under me right now of which 10 I trained over the past 2-3 years. They all are always doing something constructive regardless of being in a case or not. The nurses that come in just do their job and nothing more, usually can be found in the lounge or locker room BSing, annoying to me and I send them home before others..... If I can strip the OR floors as the department manager you bet I would expect others to at least stock some rooms...... You have to be technically skilled as well as have good patient care..... We use a bunch of equipment that has tendencies to not work right at the wrong time and you are the one everyone is looking at to try and fix it, NOW...... You are responsible for patient possitioning and making sure they arenet going to be injured or fall off the table considering they have no ability to keep themselves fromfalling off a slick 24" wide table.......

My advice, talk to the OR manager, let them know you are interested in switching and see if they will keep you in mind when the next opening comes up. There may be an opening that you dont know of or you could start out floating down there to train before a full transfer, that way you know if you like it. Be warned though, I find alot of the small/daily/routine cases get boring, just like your ICU stuff has gotten to stay the same.... Not all managers will swap nurses into different specialties so ask them to do it so you can learn alot. All of my nurses can circulate any specialty aside from open heart and neuro(we dont do neuro enough). Me and one other nurse do the open hearts which are probably the most "fun" because of all the stuff going on in the room. I also enjoy large laparoscopic GYN cases, advanced urology cases and bigger arthroscopic ortho cases. Mainly cause I like making everything perfect for the patient and surgeon, these cases all have heavy equipment and/or possitioning needs.....

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Hello Argo. I would like to know a couple of things about OR tthat would require more than email. I need lots of info and I think you are just the person to aide me. I am applying for an OR position. I will check back to c yr reply.

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I work in 2 different units: cardiac and stroke (include but not limited to post CABG, post cardiac cath--I pull out sheaths too, stroke, heart failure, advanced heart failure, transplant rejection, and of course stroke). I have ACLS and BLS. I like my job--just don't think it's where I belong.

I've always wanted to be in the OR. I applied for some OR new grad positions right out of school, but they were very difficult to get into. What do OR nurse managers look for in someone with no OR experience but have acute care experience? It seems like OR positions require 1 to 2 years OR experience. At least from the ones I looked at. Thanks for all your suggestions.

They look for someone with no expericence whatsover. That way you can conform to the insane way that the operating room works. It's a subculture. If you have so much experience in cardiac and ICU.. you'll never get hired in the OR because you already know too much. From what I've seen the best OR nurses are ones that come straight from school that don't know any better and can be brainwashed easily.

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Specializes in Operating Room.
They look for someone with no expericence whatsover. That way you can conform to the insane way that the operating room works. It's a subculture. If you have so much experience in cardiac and ICU.. you'll never get hired in the OR because you already know too much. From what I've seen the best OR nurses are ones that come straight from school that don't know any better and can be brainwashed easily.
Sheesh, bitter much?;)
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Specializes in Cardiac ICU.

I can't stand lazy people. If I have downtime, I usually try to keep my self busy. It makes time go by faster.

So they'll never hire me in OR because of my previous experience?

I actually never worked in ICU--more like TCU/stepdown.

IMHO, it's not a good idea to be brainwashed by any department. People can become close-minded and less open to learning new things. (this is how I interpreted your reply OR male.)

Anyway, thanks for the helpful replies. Keep them coming

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Sheesh, bitter much?;)

Not really... was meant to be "tongue in cheek" :)

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I can't stand lazy people. If I have downtime, I usually try to keep my self busy. It makes time go by faster.

So they'll never hire me in OR because of my previous experience?

I actually never worked in ICU--more like TCU/stepdown.

IMHO, it's not a good idea to be brainwashed by any department. People can become close-minded and less open to learning new things. (this is how I interpreted your reply OR male.)

Anyway, thanks for the helpful replies. Keep them coming

Sure... no problem. :)

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Specializes in Operating Room.
Not really... was meant to be "tongue in cheek" :)
Oh good, I was hoping you hadn't had an awful OR experience..the OR can be tough, but I look at it as kind of a positive...I used to be this little quiet, meek person. Ha, not anymore. Friends and family are wondering what the heck happened.:lol2:
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Oh good, I was hoping you hadn't had an awful OR experience..the OR can be tough, but I look at it as kind of a positive...I used to be this little quiet, meek person. Ha, not anymore. Friends and family are wondering what the heck happened.:lol2:

Hmm... you got screamed at in your face by an orthopedic surgeon and ducked as he threw a rongeur across the OR ?

LOL.... I wear my teflon suit under my scrubs just in case.

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Specializes in OR Hearts 10.
Hmm... you got screamed at in your face by an orthopedic surgeon and ducked as he threw a rongeur across the OR ?

LOL.... I wear my teflon suit under my scrubs just in case.

For real???? Why are you people allowing this kind of behavior to continue???

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For real???? Why are you people allowing this kind of behavior to continue???

Somedays it can be fun to watch a surgeon explode.. as long as it's not directed at you.... :jester: I could write a book with all the crap I've seen by being in the OR almost 6 years this May. Just when you think you've seen it all.. you truly haven't.

Lets see.. why am I allowing this behavior to continue. Ummm.. because the lead nurse, the OR manager, and the Director of Perioperative Services are cowards ?

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