Would I make a good OR nurse?

[FloridaBeagle]

Hi,

I'm a neuro acute care RN at the moment. I wonder if OR is right for me. I observed the OR multiple times in nursing school, and rather enjoyed it, but OR jobs aren't really out there for new grads. I'm an introvert and not very interested in chatting with patients or playing waitress. I'm very task- and detail-oriented. I love to assess, and pride myself on doing a good and thorough job. I even like charting (weird, I know. But I picture my attention-to-detail as potentially sparing the hospital in a lawsuit. You never know).

I wonder if I'd be a better fit in the OR? What traits make for a good OR nurse?

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Some good traits of OR nurses:

-attention to detail- sometimes it's the little things you stay on top of that can make a surgery go smoother

-ability to remain coolheaded in emergencies- could be a trauma that comes crashing through the door, it could be the perfectly healthy young adult patient who codes upon induction (that one didn't have a good outcome), it could be a rapidly changing surgical plan (like when a surgeon inserts a trocar and hits the femoral artery- that one did have a good outcome other than the lawsuit)

-ability to form a rapport with patients quickly- you've got about 10 minutes to see them in preop and have them trusting you to provide care when they are at their most vulnerable

-thick skin- surgeons (and OR staff) are known for their, ahem, attitudes and complexes

-team player- the OR is not a job where you're able to be on your own and you need to rely on and trust your coworkers

-ability to learn and retain a lot and use it every day- there's a reason that many structured OR orientation programs last 6 months or more

Just a few off the top of my head. Keep in mind that depending on how long you've been out of school, you may no longer be considered a new grad. However, there is a number of facilities who offer OR residencies or structured orientation programs. These are for any nurse without OR experience, not just new grads.

[mhy12784]

Being an introvert is fine.

You only need to talk to patients for a few minutes while they are awake, so thats a non issue.

I mean you do work in teams, but theres quite a few introverts where I work no biggie.

You definitely wont be doing the same kind of assessing (most likely). More often than not (at least in my setting) the bulk of assessing is making sure your patient is in a good position (foley isnt tugging, arms are in right spot, pressure points etc)

Being task oriented is definitely a big plus though. The biggest thing where I work is pretty much being able to hustle (surgeons, management, and sometimes anesthesia are all about keeping it moving) and knowing where everything is (youll be playing go fetch a lot).

Its a fantastic job, just very very different from other nursing