Why is it some areas of the country.........

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In some states the hospitals will allow new grads in the OR, but others won't. The hospitals around where I live require at least one year of med-surg or acute care experience. If the OR is nothing like med-surg, then the point seems mute. My guest is they have enough experienced nurses to fill the positions. What are your thoughts?

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Specializes in OR.

It's more a matter of how various hospitals do things...Several hospitals around here will take new grads into the OR. They'll either put you through a peri-op program or if you already have OR experience as an intern or ex-scrub tech, they'll train you without the peri-op program. At my hospital, the people without OR experience went through a program at the local tech school. I didn't do this because I already knew the basics...I have been training as a circulator on the job and my orientation will be about 6-9 months. My instructor told me that many HR departments will try to tell you that the med/surg experience is needed because they desperately need people on the floors...Don't know if thats true or not. Shop around different hospitals, I'm sure you'll find one that will train a new grad.

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I have checked all hospitals within a 50 mile radius, and they do not take new grads in the OR. Oh, well if I want to get in I guest I have to do my time in med surg. Thanks again!

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Specializes in O.R., ED, M/S.

Some hospitals purposely deny the new grad of OR, ICU, ER, etc.... so they can staff areas that most nurses do not want to work in, example M/S. They can fill positions on M/S with the "promise" that after a time one would have a better chance in getting those other coveted positions. The problem being that some people wait for years in a hospital waiting for that position to open or there might be several people ahead of you for that spot. OR nurses are well known to expire on the job before they would ever give up their position!

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the or is a wonderful place to work. i lucked into my first or job, and now i do not want to do any other area. i did, however, spend 10 years in other areas of nursing, including med/surg, er, icu, nursery, and charge. i even cross trained in pacu. my love of nursing is in the or. hang in there you will get your chance. either you will completely love it or hate it.

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