Why do nurses cringe when I say I want to be a OR nurse?

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I am a new grad nurse and recently passed the NCLEX exam :). I got a job offer at a hospital clinic that in the mean time will help me pay for my bachelors and my student loans while I practice my skills as a nurse and wait for the opportunity to open up. Every single time I mention the fact the I LOVE THE OR people make a face , and tell me that I won't have any skills as a nurse in there ( WHAT ! ) I have so much respect for OR nurses , pre op , post op , I personally think it is a beautiful career. Any thoughts on this ? I don't think anything will change my mind until I experience it myself . ? but I do feel pooped that others think that way .

Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
16 hours ago, scuba-girl said:

haha, because they do many other things there, like colonoscopies. and she said a sx has a set time frame where the Dr says this will probably take 1.5 hours , but if it only takes 45 minutes they can move on to someone else. many physicians work there. surgeons also make plenty of money on office visits and consults etc. so they allocate some money to pay a nurse full time

Aren't they required to have an RN in any level of surgi-center? I don't think they are hiring her out of the kindness of her heart:) If they were legally permitted to get away with a LPN, they would.

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1 hour ago, subee said:

Aren't they required to have an RN in any level of surgi-center? I don't think they are hiring her out of the kindness of her heart:) If they were legally permitted to get away with a LPN, they would.

not really sure what your point is. it is a surgery center, it's big, there are a lot of people who work there, it is freestanding just next to a large hospital. she just happens to work for a surgeon.

my point was to the OP that sx sounds good for nurses

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Specializes in Med-Surg, Administration, Informatics.

I've been nursing faculty for many years, and have worked in several schools. A lot of nursing faculty seem to have the wrong idea that OR nursing isn't really nursing. They are completely wrong of course, and I speak as a person who has had to have surgery several times for some congenital problems I was born with. So I know as a patient how important those OR nurses are. Like anywhere, there are some who are really great and very patient oriented, and others who are more task oriented. But, OR nursing is real nursing, with assessments, nursing diagnoses, and interventions and evaluations. Please follow your heart. If OR nursing is what you want, pursue it because your future patients need an excellent OR nurse. In some hospitals, OR nurses and Recovery Room nurses cross train and that can be a very interesting job too. Research the hospital and its OR before you apply, as you would for any position you seek. Best of luck to you!

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
15 hours ago, Ribbons said:

I've been nursing faculty for many years, and have worked in several schools. A lot of nursing faculty seem to have the wrong idea that OR nursing isn't really nursing. They are completely wrong of course, and I speak as a person who has had to have surgery several times for some congenital problems I was born with. So I know as a patient how important those OR nurses are. Like anywhere, there are some who are really great and very patient oriented, and others who are more task oriented. But, OR nursing is real nursing, with assessments, nursing diagnoses, and interventions and evaluations. Please follow your heart. If OR nursing is what you want, pursue it because your future patients need an excellent OR nurse. In some hospitals, OR nurses and Recovery Room nurses cross train and that can be a very interesting job too. Research the hospital and its OR before you apply, as you would for any position you seek. Best of luck to you!

But, again I ask, do they need a BSN in nursing? Many people without a 4 year degree become excellent nurses and are certainly capable of becoming an OR nurse. I worked in OR's over 40 years as an outside employee so had to opportunity to observe behaviors very well - I had no skin in the game. If one is strictly going to work in an OR, they have almost no patient contact. If one has to rotate to PACU or pre-op that does not hold true. I put them to sleep and I hardly had any contact:)! A quick pre-op interview and quick physical (mostly looking for airway issues) and off we went with the OR nurse pulling the stretcher faster than I was pushing because we were only "allowed" 20 minute turn over time or you got an email at home. In this 20 minutes, I must get my previous patient settled into PACU while a Registered Nurse lugs equipment into the room for the next case. This is what the OR has become...a big production pressure machine and rush to get cases done early in the day so the evening staff (less people) can handle the next 8 hours efficiently so that when 11 pm comes the call team doesn't have to be called in. $ and cents.

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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.
On 8/3/2020 at 9:07 AM, mariawong said:

I am a new grad nurse and recently passed the NCLEX exam :). I got a job offer at a hospital clinic that in the mean time will help me pay for my bachelors and my student loans while I practice my skills as a nurse and wait for the opportunity to open up. Every single time I mention the fact the I LOVE THE OR people make a face , and tell me that I won't have any skills as a nurse in there ( WHAT ! ) I have so much respect for OR nurses , pre op , post op , I personally think it is a beautiful career. Any thoughts on this ? I don't think anything will change my mind until I experience it myself . ? but I do feel pooped that others think that way .

I have no idea why anyone would put down OR nursing. Makes no sense. I have always been an ED nurse but think every speciality is gifted in it’s own way. I have a huge respect for every speciality from L&D to OR to ICU. I am transferring to pre-op/PACU soon and don’t think it’s any less of a nursing speciality.....just different skill set.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
1 minute ago, speedynurse said:

I have no idea why anyone would put down OR nursing. Makes no sense. I have always been an ED nurse but think every speciality is gifted in it’s own way. I have a huge respect for every speciality from L&D to OR to ICU. I am transferring to pre-op/PACU soon and don’t think it’s any less of a nursing speciality.....just different skill set.

You obviously didn't read my original post on this when I said that OR nurse's position is an IMPORTANT position and listed the qualities they need which aren't the majority of qualities needed when working on the floor. They have very little patient contact and that is just a fact. However, they do need other skills that are not taught in a nursing curriculum and I listed those skills. Please read the previous posters before jumping in on this. And you completely got all emotionally tangled since I said that the OR nurse who has to work in PACU or pre-op must be an RN. Geez. What did you read if you didn't read that?

15 hours ago, Ribbons said:

I've been nursing faculty for many years, and have worked in several schools. A lot of nursing faculty seem to have the wrong idea that OR nursing isn't really nursing. They are completely wrong of course, and I speak as a person who has had to have surgery several times for some congenital problems I was born with. So I know as a patient how important those OR nurses are. Like anywhere, there are some who are really great and very patient oriented, and others who are more task oriented. But, OR nursing is real nursing, with assessments, nursing diagnoses, and interventions and evaluations. Please follow your heart. If OR nursing is what you want, pursue it because your future patients need an excellent OR nurse. In some hospitals, OR nurses and Recovery Room nurses cross train and that can be a very interesting job too. Research the hospital and its OR before you apply, as you would for any position you seek. Best of luck to you!

But, again I ask, do they need a BSN in nursing? Many people without a 4 year degree become excellent nurses and are certainly capable of becoming an OR nurse. I worked in OR's over 40 years as an outside employee so had to opportunity to observe behaviors very well - I had no skin in the game. If one is strictly going to work in an OR, they have almost no patient contact. If one has to rotate to PACU or pre-op that does not hold true. I put them to sleep and I hardly had any contact:)! A quick pre-op interview and quick physical (mostly looking for airway issues) and off we went with the OR nurse pulling the stretcher faster than I was pushing because we were only "allowed" 20 minute turn over time or you got an email at home. In this 20 minutes, I must get my previous patient settled into PACU while a Registered Nurse lugs equipment into the room for the next case. This is what the OR has become...a big production pressure machine and rush to get cases done early in the day so the evening staff (less people) can handle the next 8 hours efficiently so that when 11 pm comes the call team doesn't have to be called in. $ and cents.

1
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Specializes in ER, Pre-Op, PACU.
22 minutes ago, subee said:

You obviously didn't read my original post on this when I said that OR nurse's position is an IMPORTANT position and listed the qualities they need which aren't the majority of qualities needed when working on the floor. They have very little patient contact and that is just a fact. However, they do need other skills that are not taught in a nursing curriculum and I listed those skills. Please read the previous posters before jumping in on this. And you completely got all emotionally tangled since I said that the OR nurse who has to work in PACU or pre-op must be an RN. Geez. What did you read if you didn't read that?

No idea why you are upset - I was backing the OP by saying every speciality is important. You may want to read your posts before you submit them. You are getting upset over nothing. Thanks. You do realize that I wasn’t even responding to your post - I have not read anyone’s post but the OP?

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.
2 hours ago, speedynurse said:

No idea why you are upset - I was backing the OP by saying every speciality is important. You may want to read your posts before you submit them. You are getting upset over nothing. Thanks. You do realize that I wasn’t even responding to your post - I have not read anyone’s post but the OP?

2 hours ago, speedynurse said:

No idea why you are upset - I was backing the OP by saying every speciality is important. You may want to read your posts before you submit them. You are getting upset over nothing. Thanks. You do realize that I wasn’t even responding to your post - I have not read anyone’s post but the OP?

Oh dear, you are totally correct:( My bad. Apologies to you.

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Specializes in CRNA, Finally retired.

scuba-girl

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Saturday

On 8/8/2020 at 8:14 PM, subee said:

Sounds like a great gig. I have never worked anyplace so unbusy. I'm not even sure how the finances can work for the long run.

On 8/9/2020 at 3:29 PM, scuba-girl said:

not really sure what your point is. it is a surgery center, it's big, there are a lot of people who work there, it is freestanding just next to a large hospital. she just happens to work for a surgeon.

my point was to the OP that sx sounds good for nurses

haha, because they do many other things there, like colonoscopies. and she said a sx has a set time frame where the Dr says this will probably take 1.5 hours , but if it only takes 45 minutes they can move on to someone else. many physicians work there. surgeons also make plenty of money on office visits and consults etc. so they allocate some money to pay a nurse full time

My point was that you made it sound like they hired 1 RN full-time because they "make plenty of money" when they actually are REQUIRED to hire an RN - whether they make money or not. Either way, it's a great gig.

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Everyone has their niche. That's why nursing is great. I did peds for 6 years and loved it at first then regretted starting in peds because I forgot everything adult. Then sometime have me a chance in hospice, and I devoured every thing related to old folks and am having the time of my life.

That being said, I do wish I had spent 2 years in med surge. it would have made everything easier, and would have made me a better nurse.

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