You either love it or you don't....

[2short2RN, ADN, MSN, RN]

So...I recently started in the OR as a circulator after gaining some critical care experience to pad the resume. I wanted to circulate since nursing school, but listened to those peeps that say, "no skills, not real nursing...blah blah blah." Here I am in my "dream job" and it's not feeling very dreamy. I love circulating, I love holding patients' hands while they drift off into anesthesia land. I do NOT love the environment. I do not like that my day revolves around how 4 other people's days are going. In my short time (still in orientation) I've been screamed at, thrown under the bus, and witness to a cry-baby meltdown that rivaled the stomping feet of my toddler. Sure there are days where that doesn't happen, but it seems quite rare. This stuff doesn't scare me or make me want to cry, I just don't want to deal with it. In my past positions, tantrums were rare. I'm only a few months in, so I definitely haven't given it a good try. But I really don't like the idea of being stuck in a room with a bunch of different egos and personalities. Not sure what to do.

[thoughtful21, BSN, RN]

Surely not all OR's are like this? I don't have much OR experience, but this sounds like a bad work environment, maybe due to a few "long-standing strong personalities?" Maybe you could find a position in a better hospital/OR? It would be sad to see you give up a dream job where you love the work and have a lot of potential to help people.

[ORoxyO]

I have worked in several ORs in different hospital systems. I've seen it all, and have felt the same way. I can't stand dealing with giant man babies or being treated like the biggest dumbass for not being able to read their minds. Especially being stuck in a room with them for 10 hours. Administration did not care because they brought in the money.

Last year I took a position in a different hospital system in the area. Administration does not tolerate inapropriate behavior at all. They back us up and want us respected. If a surgeon or anesthesia even slightly goes off the hinge or disrespects a team member they are all over it. I'm not saying that there are never instances but to me it's huge. Everyone has a bad day or a bad case, so you will have to deal with that anywhere- its life. But wow, what a difference. We are a team.

I would say network and ask other nurses in the area how their OR is. Try to suck it up for a year at your current place then move on. Believe me, there are better places out there.

[2short2RN, ADN, MSN, RN]

So, I said decided I would stick it out with the hopes of it getting better. I'm sad (glad?) to say I'm throwing in the towel here after some incidents.

#1--OR staff making inappropriate comments and checking out tattoos on the patients. They were basically confirming everyone's biggest fears about what might happen when they are under anesthesia. Yikes!

The deal breaker--surgeon saying the patient on the table looked like a f-ing f--t (gay slur.) And the team saying, "he always says that stuff, don't let it bother you."

I really hope to find a better place. Because...wow.