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Discussion

What would you do?

I work in a large OR that is broken down into specialites. My dream is to go to RNFA school. I feel that although I can scrub independently and have done so for 6 years, I still do not feel comfortable with scrubbing procedures that I am unfamiliar with, such as ACDFs, transplants or robotic procedures.

I moved from a place that I LOVED to come to this institution SPECIFICALLY to learn to scrub difficult cases. My manager knew this from the get-go. I have not been scrubbing very often because she needs me to circulate the "difficult" surgeons. While this is a compliment of sorts, I have sent her numerous emails repeating my request to scrub more. I have had meetings with her about it. I am still circulating most of the time. She has given valid reasons, and states that she simply cannot assign me to scrub when she needs me to take care of the Princesses. She is also trying to be fair to the other nurses in my specialty that want to scrub, but the main reason she is not having me scrub is because she feels that the surgeons complain less when I am their circulator. That is great for my boss, but is getting me nowhere.

So after a year or so of disappointment from lack of getting the experience I need, I am at a crossroads. I think that maybe I should go to a different specialty in which I can scrub almost everyday. There are nurses that scrub daily, and it kinda chaps me because they are either new residents or new nurses. I have been there for a while, and I am feeling frustrated.

I simply CANNOT enroll in an RNFA program without a comfortable familiarity in the scrub role. This is my only hurdle.

I must admit that the reason I am hesitant to move to another team is because of the loyalty that I feel toward my team and to the surgeons that I have worked with. The Princesses are no longer the most difficult surgeons for me to work with since I work with them all the time now and I know their routines; they are actually the easiest ones for me to deal with. But...I am not getting the experience I need.

What would you do?

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    Knowing that moving is out of the question, I would talk to some of the other team coordinators and see what they think. Or, better yet, speak to the director and see what her opinion is. Unfortunately, this hospital is lacking in the number of employees, and I wonder if even changing specialties you would be getting more scrubbing experience. It is tempting to contact a certain hospital (you know which one I mean) and ask them what would the chance be of becoming an RNFA through them. The only reason I'm mentioning this is what I told you privately about our hospital not currently recognizing RNFAs due to having residents and med students. This is a tough decision and I feel your pain. I'm still not sure what I want to do. I graduated with a MSN in Nursing Education and can't get hired as an OR educator anywhere. This can be due to my lack of precepting (which our hospital doesn't let me do) and nursing experience. But then I question our hospital's decision to hire a certain somebody 2 years ago who isn't much more experienced than I am and she doesn't even have her CNOR! I'm writing this so others that are reading this post can see that there are two people interested in RNFA but are having their own separate issues. It's a love-hate relationship with the hospital.

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    I have a different view on this equation. My two cents would be to go with what will make you better/happy in the long run. You have to think of this as a

    "business decision", I say this, because in management eyes we are commodities. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Hope this helps you.

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