OPERATING ROOM NURSE (pros & cons, and advice)

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Hi everyone! In today's vlog I detail everything I believe is essential to tell you about being an operating room nurse. I'm very honest to which are pro's and con's of this job so you are all more aware in your future decisions. Hope this video helps you if you are considering the operating room! This vlog in particular opened up my eyes to what I really like and dislike about my job.
Welcome to my video! I am Cait, I am a registered nurse in New Jersey sharing my journey throughout my career and also my life in general. I am a former Operating Room RN, now I am a Labor & Delivery RN. I am also a future FNP student and taking you along this journey. I also love to travel, spend time with my family and cats, and I'm passionate about hair, skin, and makeup. I am also getting married this August so plan on making Wedding content. Please subscribe if you enjoy my videos. Thank you in advance for the support :)
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4 окт 2024

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Комментарии : 61

@roxannenoriega5661 Год назад

There are so many similar videos. NONE as transparent and indepth!!! Considering OR...so much detailed invaluable info!! Thank you

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Thank you so much! Glad the video is helpful :)

@wendelveres8004 Год назад

Thank you so much for the information & for your transparency.... I'm currently a beside nurse, & I'm really not fond of it at all. I have an offer to work OR, & I'm really considering taking it; hopefully I like it way more than the floor

@aleksandrarabkowska3320 Год назад

Same here! ❤

@CaitHawkins Год назад

You are very welcome! Glad it was helpful. Why not go for it, the beauty of nursing is you can always switch your specialty to see if you'll be happier and more passionate! Good luck.

@MsLexpeacenlove 4 дня назад

I’ve been a nurse for some time now and have been in a lot of different specialties. Watched this video just to get an overall feel for the OR. I just wanted to point out ESPECIALLY for day shift a lot of these cons will apply to all types of nursing. Thank you for the information.

@jennifertorres3051 Год назад

I'm going to start my LPN-ADN program soon & I have my sights set on working in the OR because like you said I do not want to much involvement with pt care ! A sleeping patient is a cooperative pt 😂 thank you for this video it told me everything I needed to know 😌

@CaitHawkins Год назад

You're so very welcome Jennifer! Best of luck to you in your journey. The OR is amazing, especially if you don't want so much patient involvement.

@jennifertorres3051 Год назад

@@CaitHawkins thank you , I do have one question. Do OR nurses do a lot of documenting ?

@CaitHawkins Год назад

@@jennifertorres3051 Where I used to work it was the standard documenting. So it did take 20 minutes usually to document at a fast typing pace. Depends on the surgery how much you need to document but I would say there is a good amount, not compared to floor nursing though. Definitely less than a floor nurse.

@jennifertorres3051 Год назад

@@CaitHawkins thank you 😊

@marinagreen3484 Год назад

Well the patient might be under anesthesia, but the focused is the patient, prevent injury to the patient, make sure consents are ready , etc. yes, the second most important is the management of the room, equipment, supplies so on, the circulator is catering to scrub tech, anesthesia, surgeon! Super fast if you are in a level 1 trauma ! Is very physical. Pushing bed, equipment, running to get things that are asked during surgery that is not in the room. I agree, on call is not great !

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Exactly! Patient safety and satisfaction are ALWAYS our #1 priority as an OR nurse. Then comes the demands of the room and other surgical staff you're working with. We truly "run the room" as the OR nurse. I agree.. the physical part of the job can keep us healthy by constantly moving and lifting heavy items but it does take a toll on our bodies and exhaustion haha. I would constantly run for things in our "central" such as dressings and items the surgeon asked for that were not stocked in our rooms. Most days I would pass 10,000 steps but it was tiring doing that every shift for 10 hours straight!

@lexiwhite4145 Год назад

Thank you so much for this! You’re so relatable and gave great info. I appreciate you!

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi lexiwhite4145, you are very welcome! I am so glad this was helpful to you. Thank you :)

@kakefyll 8 месяцев назад

I feel like setting up the room is a bit simplified in regards to the nurses task? You also prevent infection, nerve damage,pressure ulcers, make sure the operation runs smoothly . So you are taking care of the patient as well. Not just directly

@CaitHawkins 6 месяцев назад

Thanks so much for the added information. Couldn't agree anymore! I put things simply but there is so much we do as OR nurses that we just dont say! Youre right!

@linglingdrinkbeansoup Год назад

very iinformative! Quality video content. Thank you. I was thinking about switching to OR after working on the floor for 2 years but now Im having doubts... and its a good thing. I cannot stand rude staff such as surgeons or co workers... it only shows the amount of stress in the OR. Probably not the lifestyle i desire.

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Thank you very much! Yes the OR is not the environment for everyone, hopefully this video gives you insight because unfortunately OR nurses take on a lot of stress and rude staff. Atleast in the tri-state area haha.I really did like the job itself for the time I was doing it- but not where I saw myself retiring.

@rhiannayates4643 Год назад

I’m an OR nurse in the south and we might talk slow but we don’t Work slow. Our turn overs average 20 mins and goal is 25 mins. They are sticklers about turn overs down here too! I feel ya girl OR nursing isn’t for the faint of heart

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi NOLAqueen 504! YES! Follow your heart and go out of your comfort zone! I started in the OR, loved it but wasn't sure, left to do bedside nursing and within 3 months quit that and went right back to the OR! I will NEVER do floor/bedside nursing again. OR is the BEST! I'm excited for you going to the OR. Not going to lie, the first 6 months are the hardest you will learn SO MUCH and it can be overwhelming but I always used to tell the new hires wait 6 months you will become so much more comfortable after 6 months! You can do this! If you ever have questions please comment and or DM me on my instagram! Good luck, take lots of notes for surgeon preferences during surgery. Start with basics such as glove size, trays and packs to open, and some of the supplies. Positioning is always great to note as well. :)

@ellens7919 7 месяцев назад

I am starting my OR new grad residency program in a couple days and I appreciate your transparency and insight!

@CaitHawkins 6 месяцев назад

YAY!! Congrats and best of luck you got this!!

@Dcjc25 7 месяцев назад

I hope you’re compensated nicely for doing OR nursing 🤗 I’m interested in this specialty but the more videos I watch the more cons I see lol.

@CaitHawkins 6 месяцев назад

Honestly I've been doing it for about 3 years now and I really do enjoy my job!! I highly recommend it! Nicely compensated as well.

@FJHFAH-ui4ml Год назад

I just had my second c section, my first one two years ago was urgent with an on call Dr at 5am. It was so traumatic even though I went through therapy this second time I still had a panic attack on the table. The anesthesiologist had to push more meds to calm me down, I thought I was going to die. My L&D nurse was with me and she was amazing, so calming. I sent her a present after because I appreciated her so much🤍 So thankful for OR staff for giving me two healthy babies.

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Thank you for sharing your traumatic experience with me and this community I'm trying to build on youtube. This must have been so scary for you. Congratulations on your babies. I love being an OR nurse and so glad we had such a positive effect on you :)

@anissagonzales3903 2 месяца назад

Thank you for this video! I’m graduating in 6 months and highly considering OR because I’ve been most interested in it after observing in clinicals. I’m just worried that I’ll lose all my skills taught in school and it might be harder to transition over to different units should I ever want a change. So much to consider!

@ricardorodriguesrr18 4 месяца назад

I dont think it woukd be too bad for me . I'm a lpn we take care of 30 patients so having to worry about just one patient it woukd be great . I'm currently in school for my bsn now i have or in mind once i finish my bsn!

@sakurakos88 3 месяца назад

You seem like an honest and caring person, thank you for sharing you knowledge. A few quick questions for you, if you can give me some advice please. So I worked as an LPN for 2 years, in long term care and corrections. Long term care was easily the most stressful job I ever done in my life. I literally had panic attacks even on my days off, ended up depressed and qutting. I thought once I finished lpn school my life would get much better and that nursing was for me. Being an introverted person, the very demanding social aspect of nursing drained me very quickly, before quitting nursing I decided to go back to nursing school to get my RN. I just graduated May 2024 and I am waiting to take the NCLEX. I am seriously considering the OR. Do you have to deal with family members? Do you spend alot of time talking on the phone with doctors, families? Just having to make a phone call or answering the phone I get massive anxiety :/. I also thought of working in the ICU night shift but, I don't want to deal with family members at all!

@aw8758 6 месяцев назад

I work in the OR, great video and all true. The biggest thing is you don’t have “nursing” skills. So idk if it’s just my OR but I’m feeling very unfulfilled because there’s no direct patient care, I’m a new grad and we weren’t trained in doing IVs or foleys…it’s starting to become a major concern for me because like you said I miss actually being a nurse. Rather than just finding supplies and plugging stuff in. Again maybe it’s just my hospital but the lack of critical thinking and no skills esp as a new grad is concerning to me ..planning my next moves like you did!

@coffeepandacat Год назад

Awesome video, thank you for sharing.❤🎉 I've been on a journey figuring out what I want to do. I was a pharmacy tech and now I'm in medical billing (trying out office life.) My very first inspo to healthcare is my aunt who is a surgical tech. I thought I wanted to do that but then I did more research and saw that most people who are OR techs tend to just become nurses anyways and that it's better to just go straight in for that. So OR nurse is really appealing to me. I thinkkk my heart reaches out to this path most but still not sure. It has a lot of things I'm looking for in a job. Also interested in medical lab, pharmacy, and accounting. Deciding between all of these...after a few months ib my current position I think mt heart is leaning towards healthcare and not business

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi Lark! Thanks for the kind words and watching my video. I hope it gave you some clarity if you choose this field and specialty. I personally love being an OR nurse! When I'm in between big decisions I usually write out a pro's and con's list of all my choices to help me out. Best of luck in your decision!

@mamagroovefly Год назад

As a circulating nurse, are you transferring patients to the table and pushing beds and stuff? Wondering how physical it is other than being on your feet a lot. I have an old shoulder injury and am curious. Thanks!

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi mamagroovefly- in the hospital I felt there was a lot of physcial demands, like lifting trays, case carts, OR equipment and beds, also moving patients who are asleep can be a lot on the body. However, you are NEVER alone and there is always someone that can help you whether that be another nurse, management, anesthesia, doctors, residents, or your scrub tech for the day. I will say, try to find a place that has support staff. My old hospital did not have support staff, and my new job at a surgery center does, and it is so less physically demanding! Best of luck to you in your future :)

@vanessabutin704 10 месяцев назад

Hi, I love your video. I’m a new grad and want to become an OR nurse. How can I position myself to be a desirable candidate for the OR residency program? In my state, a nurse residency program is very competitive.

@CaitHawkins 10 месяцев назад

Thanks so much for the support! First of all congratulations of becoming a nurse!! Second, it's def hard to get into the OR as a new grad but it is possible. Depending on where you live and the options I would apply to just about every OR you can apply to within a reasonable commute and see if you get any interviews. Tidying up your resume is always a great thing, and also attending any open hire days for RN's is always good to attend at hospitals! Best of luck, keep us posted!!

@predatoria_aquatica 2 месяца назад

About to go into the periop program… im in new jersey too.. lol.. we might be in the same system😂… do u ever think that if u leave the OR that u will have to relearn bedside? Im going into OR without other experience too.. thats my only fear, that i might not be able to do other units if i leave the OR one day

@Emtjosh 8 месяцев назад

Hey I’m currently an EMT in my second semester of nursing school. I’ve shadowed in the OR and love the vibe. I’m interested in RNFA and maybe eventually perfusion. Your thoughts on those two!!

@CaitHawkins 6 месяцев назад

Hi Josh!! Thanks for watching and your input! That's incredible being an EMT. Much respect to you. Being an RNFA is awesome, no paper work, and tons of scrubbing. If you love scrubbing def do RNFA, but i would recommend being an OR nurse before going to RNFA school to make sure you love scrubbing. Perfusion is highly respected as well, and we need good people doing those jobs. I don't know much else about perfusion though. Good luck!!

@bryannawishak4904 Год назад

What sort of things would you need to do for the anesthesiologist should they need help when you’re a circulating nurse?

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi Bryanna!! As a circulator you’re responsible for everything inside the operating room your surgery is taking place in. This involves the anesthesiologists needing help. Majority of the times we mostly help anesthesia when the patient first gets in the room, so we help them by possibly guiding them with IV’s, starting IV’s, assisting in hooking patients up to monitors like blood pressure cuffs, pulse ox, and heart monitor. Then we of course assist with intubation as well, so this can be simply holding the ETT or pulling out the stylet, or even providing cricoid pressure. Hope this helps :)

@AliasMeify Год назад

Hi! Thanks for all the info, can I ask which hospital in NJ you work? Or which health system if you wanna keep it more private, appreciate it. Thank you!

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi AliasMeify, I don't feel comfortable disclosing that information to the internet but I will share the health system I work for is one of the biggest in NJ! Thanks for watching!

@katiedickinson7866 6 месяцев назад

If you need feedback from patients the OR isn’t for you. The OR is mentally straining. The hard things we see can affect people differently. We need a lot of self care. We become close like family because of the stuff we go through together.

@CaitHawkins 6 месяцев назад

Agree!! The OR is very tiring mentally and physically. But with a great team and passion it's a great specialty!

@robefayedeoca6332 Год назад

Can I apply as an OR nurse even I dont have bedside exp? Currently working in a SNF/LTC as an RN. Thanks.

@sheenanagales380 Год назад

Hi, I work currently as an OR nurse and had 1 year SNF/LTC experience. Depends on the hospital you wanna work at. My hospital accepts new grads and no experience nurses and trained us for 6 months.

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi Robe! When I graduated nursing school I went straight into the OR with only CNA experience. This particular hospital in NJ allowed new grads and was willing to hire new grads and train them. Also paid for Periop 101! If you're interested I say start applying you never know! Good luck!

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi Sheena- SAME thing! My old hospital hired me as a new grad and trained me for 6 months before being by myself!

@xeies 10 месяцев назад

@@CaitHawkinsexcuse me are you circulator or scrub nurse? I didn't understand the part that she said we usually can be circulator , not scrub

@Tiyanaa Год назад

At 10:13 you mentioned CRNA. Can a RN get accepted into CRNA school with OR experience? I thought it had to be ICU experience

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi Tyana. To get into CRNA school you have to have ICU experience! I was just talking about the possibility of doing CRNA school because sometimes I enjoy the monitoring/nursing skills that CRNA's use in the OR environment but that would be about a 5 year commitment and I don't plan on doing that. (1-2 years in the ICU, and then 3 years of schooling!) Thanks for the comment, hope this helps!

@ericbrandongreen8214 Год назад

How is the pay as an OR nurse?

@CaitHawkins Год назад

Hi Eric! I live in New Jersey so the median annual salary is $92,483 but the range typically falls between $82,979 and $102,233. I was making close to the median salary as a brand new graduate in the operating room. Salary definitely depends on where you live but since the OR is a specialty- pay is usually higher in this type of nursing.

@ericbrandongreen8214 Год назад

@@CaitHawkins Thank you for responding! Yes, I just recently was accepted into a Nursing program here in California. The program offers an OR externship, and most students land jobs after the externship. Im debating if I should pursue it or not. Your video gave me some good insight! Thank you!

@lucresd1542 7 месяцев назад

How do you Handle rude surgeons?

@CaitHawkins 6 месяцев назад

Honestly at first I was shocked but 3 years later you just kinda get used to letting things roll right off you. The OR is stressful and we all just care for the patient and have different ways of showing it.

@xeies 10 месяцев назад

Excuse me why should we do circulating nurse things? Why not scrubbing?

@CaitHawkins 9 месяцев назад

Hi- not sure what your question really means. But, as an OR nurse you will have to scrub and circulate in the OR! Hope that helps.