What exactly would an ortho/urology nurse do?

Specialties Orthopaedic

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Specializes in Telemetry, LTC, Hospice and Private Duty.

I have an interview for an ortho/urology RN job and would like to know an idea of what I would be doing? Then I can read up and try to sound like "I meant to do that" even though I was applying for any and all openings everywhere lately. Thanks all!

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Need more information. Would you be working in a Dr.'s office, a clinic setting, out patient surgery, an acute care hospital?

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Specializes in Telemetry, LTC, Hospice and Private Duty.

A large teaching hospital.

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Well.....urology and orthopedic nursing are kind of two separate areas?

In an acute care hospital a bed side orthopedic nurse would work with traction, various orthopedic equipment/machines, assess limbs (as well as the whole body). I have only occasionally floated to orthopedic units. Look over the all-nurses orthopedic nursing section under specialties.

And honestly I'm not sure what a urology nurse would do? Assist with cystoscopies? Work in a dialysis unit? Maybe the hospital you will interview at has a floor for renal patients? Post kidney transplant patients? Continuous peritoneal dialysis? I'm really reaching here!

Sorry I'm not much help. Still kind of confused about your job interview? Maybe you could go to the facility and walk through the unit or ask a nurse educator at the facility or get some one to give you a job description before you interview?

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Specializes in Telemetry, LTC, Hospice and Private Duty.

Thank you brown book. I appreciate it.

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My guess is that you'd be caring for patients post op from urology surgeries (surg for bladder CA, prostate CA, CBIs) and other urology issues (work up for hematria, etc). And also ortho post-ops (hip replacements, knee replacements, some trauma, etc). I work on a surgery floor that gets some of these patients if all the ortho and urology beds are full.

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Specializes in Orthopaedics.

Ortho units deal with (in addition to med-surg pt's at most hospitals) pre and post-op pt's with either elective or traumatic bone injury. We have all of the same comorbidities any other unit has. It's med-surg + all of the broken bones- on purpose or not. It's a good place to see care from a set start to a set end, with all of the possible distractions any other unit remedies. If this is the job offer you get, don't feel like you won't get a well rounded experience. I transitioned from med-surg to "ortho" and still get the same Pt's, with the addition of any ortho admits. Good luck.

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Specializes in Orthopedics, Urology, Med-Surg.

I'm starting a new job at a local hospital soon; my floor will be ortho/urology/med-surg. I'm not exactly sure what all my duties will be as far as the urology part goes. Probably lots of cathing!!! I'm sure I'll have UTI pts, bladder & kidney infections, stones, CA pts, post surgery, etc.

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I have an interview for an ortho/urology RN job and would like to know an idea of what I would be doing? Then I can read up and try to sound like "I meant to do that" even though I was applying for any and all openings everywhere lately. Thanks all!

I haven't worked in ortho for a long time, but I currently work in an acute care site on a urology post surgical unit. We are primarily responsible for all the post op urology surgeries/cancer from the kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate and reconstructive surgeries male/female. We also deal with a lot of renal colics! It is the busiest unit in our hospital. Foleys, CBIS, and various post surgical items. It is a fasinating and busy unit.

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