What's so great about OR?

pixiestudent2 · Jun 13, 2016

Depends on who you ask lol some might say nothing.

I went into the OR as a new grad, it was pretty intimidating. I work at level one trauma hospital, and we do transplants.

I honestly thought the OR would be cool, I liked watching surgeries. But that's not what my job entails. I found I don't really care for the role of the circulator. So It's been a year, and I'll be leaving the OR shortly.

It's very different than other types of nursing.

lelms · Jun 14, 2016

Sounds like you had similar feelings to mine when you started out. Sounds cool, but very different. Can I ask what specifically you don't like about it?

Editorial Team / Admin · Jun 14, 2016

Here's a pros/cons thread with links to a couple of others: Pros and Cons of Working in the OR

I started in the OR as a new grad. Was I intimidated at first? You betcha! Totally different from what I'd experienced during clinicals in nursing school. But, here it is over a decade later and I'm still in the OR. I "fell into" the OR when my first choice for clinical practicum (L&D, like about 75% of the rest of my class) didn't happen. I opted for PACU because I knew I did not want to end up in med/surg and that had been one mentioned in class as someone having done. I did get the opportunity to follow a patient from preop through the OR through PACU through the first few hours in the 23 hour obs unit. So, when I was applying for jobs and found postings for the OR, I applied and was hired. Yes, it's different from pretty much every other kind of nursing out there, but you can say that about most specialties. Are there days I'm not a fan of my job? Absolutely, but they are few and would happen no matter where or what profession I worked in.

sneed1o1, BSN, RN · Jun 14, 2016

@pixiestudent2 Do you mind me asking what you didn't expect about working in the OR? I'm just starting out, still in orientation, in fact. Did you ever scrub?

pixiestudent2 · Jun 15, 2016

@pixiestudent2 Do you mind me asking what you didn't expect about working in the OR? I'm just starting out, still in orientation, in fact. Did you ever scrub?

No I have never scrubbed, though that'd probably be a lot more interesting. I just didn't actually know what circulators did before starting. I don't like running around grabbing supplies, answering all the doctors phones and the residents pagers. I don't like hauling around heavy equipment or dealing with nit picky surgeons.

My specialty is transplants.. It's okay. But when I go in different rooms like spines or ortho I'm so bored I want to claw my eyes out. I feel like I'm wasting my education.

But there are people who have been in the OR 30+ years who wouldn't dream of doing anything else. I think a lot depends on your personality. Mine does not mesh well in the OR.

MereSanity · Jun 15, 2016

I love the OR...great place for ADD personalities. Been there for almost 9 years now. I love one patient at a time, asleep patients, no real family interaction (OK, I suck I know). I love the atmosphere and personalities in the OR (and sometimes not). Highly specialized, longest orientation of any specialty. No, I'm not a "go-fer". I could go to the floor (please no) and within a day or two be fine working there...the same cannot be said for the OR. Hundreds and hundreds of instruments, pieces of equipment, standards and guidelines, etc. Not to mention hundreds of different procedures that you need to know how circulate and/or scrub (times hundreds of doctors that all do it differently). Never a dull day. Oh and ortho is my favorite! Loudest, brashest docs are usually in ortho! Love the OR!

Kooky Korky, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2016

If you don't especially like dealing with relatives and awake patients, the OR is great.

There's plenty to learn and keep you busy your first year, at least. In a large hospital with many specialties, you will spend several weeks in each one so you'll be able to be assigned anywhere. As RN, you will likely not scrub much. That disappointed me.

You can advance by becoming an RN First Assistant or go to Anesthesia School or you can branch into Recovery Room or become a supervisor or manager or instructor.

dcwang · Jun 15, 2016

@lelms, I'm in my last semester of nursing school and before I started nursing school, I volunteered at an outpatient surgery center so I saw what preop, PACU, and OR nurses did, and I just fell in love with OR nursing. No, I don't like patients who talk. I started working as a PCA in the OR and it's much different than being on the floor, and I don't think every nursing student will want to go into the OR... some of my classmates don't like OR nursing and can't imagine being an OR nurse. To this day, I would love to go into OR right after graduating, and I especially enjoyed watching what the circulator does, but in this economy we take what we can..... especially in my area, which is saturated with new grads.

Majestic Acacia · Jun 15, 2016

I got into the OR as a new grad...I took the first job I was offered. I was very intimidated at first and was hesitant to really jump in. After a year of orientation (that was our facility's) standard orientation, I found that I really enjoyed it. It isn't for everyone.

In the OR, you have a group of 4+ professionals working together to take care of one patient at a time. You don't really get to know your patients as you may only spend about 5 minutes with the while they are awake. It is a technical job. You have to know how to run and operate the equipment. You also need to know how to troubleshoot equipment (fyi- turn it off and back on, 9 times out of 10 that will fix most problems).

You will work with picky surgeons, but I also find that there are a lot of great surgeons that I really enjoy working with.

Even though I miss the interaction other nurses have with their patients, I found that I really enjoy the part of being on a team. I like the technical aspect, and I love the big cases. I have worked in out patient setting and inpatient, and after 8 years, I am really glad I took that first job opportunity.

catsmeow1972, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2016

i been in the OR for 15 years. I started out scrubbing and then went on the nursing school. So 5 years a scrub and 10 as a nurse. I have made small forays into other specialties like ICU and ER. Were I to permanently change, I think it would be to ER. I love what I do and most of the time it is a challenge. These days though, i am in a teeny little place that just does not do anything big (we lost our spine surgeon about 8 months ago). They all spasm over a day of 5-6 total joints. It is very badly run with absolutely zero leadership. I am hunting for a different job, obviously.

Advice I might have is:

1: find a place with a decent internship sort of thing. Don't let them push you out of orientation any sooner than you are ready, because they are short staffed.

2: Don't be a mouse. The OR is full of strong personalities and if you don't speak out, you will get steamrolled. It can be a place to witness passive aggression at it's best.

3: Don't be afraid of the surgeons. Like little kids, many act out because they can. Many times it is just showboating.

4: Last but not least, know a little something about what is going on in regards to the procedure. Have your stuff together and don't be afraid to ask. Many times surgeons are very willing to teach if you just ask.

Like many departments, when well run, the OR can be a blast and most days can be enjoyable and fulfilling. When not well run (like where I am at now) keeping your patients safe is sometimes the most you can hope for. Just remember, YOU are the patient advocate at a time when they cannot speak for themselves.

in spite of my current state of crappy attitude, i really do love what I do. i just really want to love it somewhere else.

sneed1o1, BSN, RN · Jun 15, 2016

I appreciate all of these responses. @MereSanity, I love what you described! This is what I saw during my clinical rounds in nursing school. It's hard for me to fathom how someone could become bored there! :wideyed: @RNtobe2016_CA that was also how my nursing class was like. Many wanted Labor & Delivery, I was in the minority who were awed by the OR. Can anyone give me an example of how you have responded to a difficult surgeon and how you established where you stood within the department? In other words, how did you let them know you were not to be toyed with?