What are the pros and cons of being an OR nurse? What do you wish someone would have told you about this position?
The 1st RN scrubs in with the surgeon and is totally using sterile technique. The 2nd RN is a circulating nurse that gathers equipment and lays it on the sterile field. Both jobs are great and one learns alot about anatomy. The hardest part is working with the Surgeons who sometimes have arrogant personalities.
PRO : you meet great people in preoperative area, take really good care of them in the OR and then turn them over to someone else in post-OP.
CON: Having to be on call rotation.
I wish someone had told me how fun it was and I could have been doing it sooner! It is like any other specialty, you love it or hate it. I loved it from day 1!
Been an OR nurse for 20 of my 33 years of nursing. Pro: team approach to patient care. Con: long hours, and not knowing when you would be relieved for basic self care needs. This has inspired me to put self care practices in place and teach them to new nurses. I have become a certified holistic nurse/ coach to support my personal growth and wellness.
