What is call like at your facility?

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Hello everyone. I am new to the OR and to nursing in general. I graduated with an RN/BSN in May, began orientation in mid July, and have been "fast tracked" so it seems. I have been working rooms virtually solo since mid to late October. Though we are a small facility we do have varied specialties (general, vascular, neuro, ENT, ortho, urology, gyn, etc) and an ER. Sometimes I don't know how I manage :uhoh3: but that is a whole other story.

I will be starting to take call on my own in January. I have been taking shadow call for a few weeks now so I am somewhat familiar with it. Typically our rooms run until 1530; after that the call crew comes in, a nurse and a scrub tech (sometimes 2 if we run 2 rooms; we are a small facility with only 6 OR's). But at the end of the day you are essentially alone. You have a cordless phone and must pick for all the add on cases that have come up after hours, print papers, set up, send for the patients, field calls, call in the PACU nurses as it gets closer to end time, etc. without any backup. Fortunately we have a cleanup crew until 2330. It just seems like so much! I guess I am looking for others who are in a similar situation, or, some reassurance if this is not the norm, and can give me a light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. Also, when you were new, what did you do for your nerves? I fret away half the night when I am on call. My management has told me that if there is a trauma or true emergency after hours I can always call the backup call crew to assist me, but I am more concerned with a "routine" case going bad in the middle of the night and being alone. I have been told that I will "learn as I go" and they seem unconcerned by my limited experience. I know that I am picking things up quickly as I have received very good feedback from multiple team members, but I am certainly not to a level where I feel confident yet. Hopefully that comes with time.

This has turned into more of a ramble than I expected, sorry for the lapse in direction! Thank you for reading and any input.

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Specializes in Office, CNA, Med/Surg, OR.

You are not alone. Where I am, call is 24 hours and begins after the last scheduled case of the day. We have 1 crew (Scrub, Circ., Anesthesia). I have the same fears about being alone. I have been in this OR for almost 7 years but have only been circulating about 2 1/2 years of that. We don't have a "back up call crew". As the circulator, I am also responsible for the recovery of that patient. Fortunately for me I know that I can call the house supervisor if I get into a pinch. Plus the anesthesia providers I work with are fantastic. They would never leave me if I felt uncomfortable with the situation.

Find out all of your resources for after hours and use them as you need them. It is suprising how your nursing mind kicks in if the situation becomes hairy. You'll find out just how much you really know and amaze yourself at your confidence. Hang in there. You'll do great.

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Specializes in Peri-op/Sub-Acute ANP.

You are working at a trauma center with no second call back up team? I just don't get this. I work at a level two trauma center, and we have one team in house at all times, 24-7 (nurse, anesthesia, tech). If that in-house team has a case come up from the ED, they automatically have to call the second team in to be on standby for another trauma (and to back up the in-house team), otherwise we would have to close the ED if a team is not available to take trauma. Likewise, the on-call PACU team is called in.

If you truly are a trauma center running this way, then I would have sleepless nights and would be very concerned for my license.

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
You are working at a trauma center with no second call back up team? I just don't get this. I work at a level two trauma center, and we have one team in house at all times, 24-7 (nurse, anesthesia, tech). If that in-house team has a case come up from the ED, they automatically have to call the second team in to be on standby for another trauma (and to back up the in-house team), otherwise we would have to close the ED if a team is not available to take trauma. Likewise, the on-call PACU team is called in.

If you truly are a trauma center running this way, then I would have sleepless nights and would be very concerned for my license.

We're pretty much the same- CRNA, RN, 2 STs, anesthesiologist all in house, with 2 RNs and 2 STs on call. CRNA is 24 hour, with a backup in house until 11pm, then on call. RN/ST call is 8 hour block.

Also, if it's a really bad case (recent trauma with bad outcome comes to mind), all call people will be brought in just so there are more hands to help. In that particular case, there were 3 people who voluntarily stayed over, all 4 call people, the 3 third shift staff, and a specialty team. And we truly did need all those people.

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Specializes in OR.

I practiced from India,on call was from 10pm to 7am continously 1 week along with afternoon duty.I losted 10 pounds soon.It was horrible but i stayed for 2 years ,learned many things.i worked for 100 hrs per week.So,eventhough you have hard works hang there ,you will get good experience.Always pray .

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