Wanting In The OR After Graduation

[redraider1977]

Currently in my first semester of RN school, hating bedside nursing, but learning alot. The OR is really the only place I wanna be. I am willing to go anywhere in the country to get the experience I need. What are my chances of finding something upon graduation? I have a bachelors already, and will be ready to pursue my BSN ASAP. Also wanting to get all the certifications I can as well. Thanks

[Nurse Rachet 21]

Mayo Clinic hires new grads in the OR and they are always needing more peope for their expanding specialties. They have the best training program you could ever imagine. They hired me from clear across the country and paid for me to move and anyting. They accept applications for new grads twice a year and they choose 10 to 12 each time. Good luck!

[LAM2010, BSN]

I did my last semester's clinicals in an OR, and that is the hospital that hired me into theirs. It is a rural hospital and they willingly hire new grads (although now they're not hiring anybody because of the economy). The big hospitals in my city wouldn't even take my app if I didn't have 2 to 5 years experience as an RN.

The clinical I did there was a leadership and management clinical, so I mostly observed, worked in the holding area, or the pre-op area in same-day surgery and followed the assistant director of the department around. But I developed a relationship with them and then applied there after I graduated. So even if you won't get a lot of hands-on clinical skills, you could try to work your way toward a clinical in an OR while in school - my attitude and work experience (not health care related) got me my job, not the skills I had (or didn't have).

And a lot of places are willing to hire new grads because they are fresh and don't have habits from other areas that will confuse them in the OR. They are willing to train and give you at least 6 months of orientation. The experience as a nurse doesn't really change this time frame. In fact a few nurses who came from other departments don't like the OR because it isn't what they were used to.