The Operating Room is demanding. It’s crazy at times. And – it’s totally awesome.

We help fix it if it’s broken, replace it if it’s worn out, make it bigger if it’s too small, or make it smaller if it’s too big. We celebrate when the unexpected surprises us, and we cry when tragedy surrounds us. We are OR Nurses. The hard-working, multi-tasking, policy enforcing, patient advocates that are rarely remembered but are always essential. And, we’re tired. We’re busy. And, hopefully, we’ve got a life outside of this crazy, hectic, sometimes all-consuming passion we call a job.

Hi! I’m Melanie – and I get it! I’ve been a nurse for 18 years, and worked in the OR since 2011. Out of all of the different areas of nursing that I’ve been in throughout my career, the OR is definitely the place for me. Most days, I love the busyness of it all. Then there are days when everything seems to just go wrong, and I have to remind myself that even in the crazy, it’s still better than Med-Surg….

Seriously, our jobs demand so much out of us every shift. Add working late, being on call, and extra shifts to the mix, and our lives easily become consumed with work. But we are ALL more than just OR nurses. We circulate through multiple roles on any given day and we have a ton of responsibilities. Who doesn’t, right?

Here’s my life right now:

1. I’m a Team Leader for Orthopedics at my hospital.
2. I tested for the CNOR in March 2017 – and passed! That’s one test I never want to take again!
3. I’ve been married to Mike for 21 years. He’s amazing.
4. He’s on staff at our church and we enjoy working and serving together.
5. We have 3 children – Nathan (20), Katie (17), and Elijah (13).
6. We have successfully home schooled them for 12 years – we started the same year I started working in the OR. Nathan is now in college, Katie is in 11th, and Elijah is in 7th. My life at home is as busy as my life at work! 
7. I believe in giving back and helping others – it changes your perspective.
8. I love Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. Those books are my favoriteses, precious 😉

We are ALL more than just the title that we carry at work, and we’re not defined by just one thing that we do.  I understand what it’s like to try to juggle all of the different responsibilities! That’s why this blog is called The Circulating Life. I write about life – inside the OR and out. Here you’ll find helpful resources if you’re new to the OR, research-supported suggestions for best practice, and helpful ideas to make life outside of work a little easier.

Thank you for being here!