The O.R. can be is overwhelming. Whether you’re a new grad showing up on your first day as an RN, or you’re new but been a nurse in another department for 20 years, it’s a whole new world behind that red line. It’s a world where a beach chair has nothing to do with the beach, a beanbag is not a toy, and a donut is not a tasty breakfast treat. Every surgical instrument has at least two different names (maybe three), every surgeon has different ways of doing the exact same procedure, and every shift is governed by which surgeon is going to run late and who’s on call. So how can you figure it all out? It’s easy to get lost when everything is so foreign. Hopefully this list I’ve put together will help see you through until you’ve figured out a thing or two.
Practical Tips to Remember
Don’t expect to learn it all in one day, or even during your orientation.
You’ll still be learning new things every day of your career in the O.R. Procedures change, safety protocols are updated, regulations are enforced or removed (pick any day of the week for those to alternate, too), and newer surgeons come in with a different way of doing things. You should always be learning. If you’re not willing to learn and willing to change, the OR won’t be the place for you.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
You might feel like it’s a stupid question, or feel stupid for asking it, but better to feel dumb and ask a question than to not ask and injure your patient. It’s that simple. Patient safety is our number one priority, so if you have a question, ask it. Don’t assume you know everything and don’t try to fake it.
Don’t be afraid to jump in and help out.
You may be learning as you go, but get in there and do it. Nobody wants to see you sitting down not helping out. Motivation and determination to learn go a lot farther with impressing your preceptors than getting it all right the first time. You’re learning, we know you’re not going to get it all at first. But if we see you trying, we’re going to work with you more to make sure you get it right. We also tend to be more forgiving when you make a mistake if you’re motivated to work, just sayin’…
Take notes!
No one has a perfect memory, and everyone forgets something now and again. Set yourself up for success and take notes on the surgeons that you work with. That way, when you’re expected to run the room on your own, you’ll know what you need and be prepared for your case. Besides, you don’t want to have to explain to Dr. McAngry that you forgot to set out his favorite instrument on the prep stand before his case that he asks for every. single. time. Take notes. It will save your brain and your ass.
Finally, pay attention!
This goes along with taking notes, but, your job in the O.R. is to be the advocate for the patient. They are at their most vulnerable – remember, they’re asleep – and you have to be willing and able to speak for them if anything isn’t going as it should. Surgeons can only do what the patient has given consent for. They can’t just decide during the case to do something extra. And if they do, it’s your job to call them out on it. So you had better be paying attention to all the details during that case and not be surfing the internet or scrolling through your phone. It puts your patient and your license at risk. Your patient has no voice during surgery. It’s up to you to be vigilant so that you can speak up for them when necessary.
And don’t forget…
Any new job is overwhelming. Add learning multiple procedures, different patient positioning, thousands of instruments, and a whole TON of names to the list, and your stress level will go through the roof. But if you remember these things, you’ll be setting yourself up for success and you’ll be running your own room confident that you’re giving your patients the best, and safest, care.