I distinctly remember my first day in the O.R. Even now, when I think back on it, I still remember feeling excited and amazed, yet also overwhelmed and scared to death. Everything was so different than what I had always imagined the operating room to be! Then you add in the strange equipment and thousands of instruments – how was I ever going to learn all this stuff? I was definitely in a whole new world, everything was foreign, and I had no clue what was going on. Which left me, an experienced nurse, feeling just like a new grad, wondering if I was ever going to make it.

Do you remember that feeling?

Or maybe you feel that way now?

All of those feelings of self-doubt, anxiety, and confusion make you positive that you’re going to drown. Oh, and you’re also questioning whether your hearing is intact because with the masks, hats, and loud music, you can’t hear a dang thing. And what’s with the language around here??

Catgut? You mean that’s a thing? 
Did you just call that a Big Ugly?
And that’s a Mother-in-Law…right…
Mosquitos? I thought those were insects.
I’m supposed to call that a twirly-bird? For real? I think you’re lying…
Army-Navy…why both branches? You can’t pick one?
Alvarado – not the city, the knee positioner. Of course…

It’s enough to make your head explode.

I get it. I still stare blankly at people sometimes wondering if I really heard what I think I heard and if what they are asking for is really a thing. Instruments have weird, sometimes multiple, names, which makes it even more confusing. And the names of positioning equipment vary from the mundane (wedge, pillow, L-bar) to the unusual (Spider, Stulberg, peg board).

So how are new O.R. nurses supposed to make it?

Well, sheer tenacity is one answer. Just refuse to give up, even though it’s really hard. But, that’s not a very helpful, practical answer. So, I asked my Facebook followers what advice they would give to new O.R. nurses, and they definitely had some helpful things to say! I’ve put together a list of helpful, real-world advice from some of their comments, and I’ve included some of my own as well.

• Be patient with yourself. OR nursing can be stressful, challenging, and exhausting. It doesn’t matter one iota what you’ve done before – it’s nothing like any other kind of nursing. Give yourself at least two years to get really comfortable. I’ve been doing it for almost 40 and I still learn every day. – Lizabeth
• Never come back with just one of something, always grab an extra! – Kathryn
• Develop a back bone and don’t let anyone push you around, be it a surgeon or other staff. – Caitlin
• Pay attention to everything going on around you. You can learn a lot just by observing.
• Listen to the “old guys.” They’ve been around awhile and have seen it all – John
• Even if your voice shakes, SPEAK UP! You are the patient advocate! – Kathryn
• The O.R. is incredibly overwhelming, but take it one day at a time. Absorb as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it. If you aren’t sure about something, clarify it so you can keep your patient safe! – Nikki
• Be nice to everyone. You never know when you may need someone’s help. – Eleanor
• Keep a small notebook with surgeon specific notes, procedure notes, and drug combos, just enough to jog your memory. – Carolyn
• Write everyone’s name down as you learn it. You’re going to be bombarded with so many names that writing them down in your notebook will help you remember names as you’re charting them.
• Listen to your scrubs, remember that you are a team. They almost always know more about the case and the surgeon than you do, and they can save you or sink you. Treat them very well. – Lori & Lizabeth
• Help with as many cases as you can, ask questions, and find a good mentor. – Sarah
• Get the best shoes available to you. And get more than one pair. Swap them out frequently. – Lynne
• Develop a sense of humor. It will help you get through the rough days, and don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself.
  “He who laughs, lasts.” – Mary Pettibone Poole
  
• Never, ever, ever, forget about the humanity of your patient. They aren’t just “the appendectomy in OR 7” or the “distal radius in OR 14.” Make an effort to connect on a personal level with each patient you care for, no matter what you may think of them or what anyone else says about them. They are human beings – scared, anxious, maybe in pain, maybe having the worst day of their lives. It’s always about the patient. Always. – Lizabeth

I hope this helps you today. Every experienced O.R. nurse knows that being a new nurse in the O.R. is hard. Surgery is a very unique specialty with a steep learning curve. But don’t give up. You can do it.

I’m cheering for you!

Melanie

Everyone offered such good advice, but I couldn’t include it all here – there was too much. Is there more advice that you can add? Please leave a comment and pass some helpful information on to someone else!