Author: Melanie Perry

I'm an OR nurse who is passionate about helping other nurses succeed in the operating room. I take a real-life, honest approach to life in the OR, and I offer helpful advice, encouragement, and recommendations to make life a little easier for all of us.
— Real Life —

The Hidden Cost of Calling: How We’re Harming the Nursing Profession

April 24, 2025

This article is cross-posted on First Case Media. In conversations about the nursing profession, it’s not uncommon to hear phrases like “nursing is a calling” or “nursing is a passion.” These comments, while often well-meaning and somewhat glamorized, generally come from a place of admiration, attempting to honor the compassion and dedication nurses bring to their work.… Read More The Hidden Cost of Calling: How We’re Harming the Nursing Profession

— Conferences, Operating Room —

Nursing Conferences are Fun! My Latest Conference Experience in Connecticut

November 5, 2024
Nursing Conferences are fun

I frequently attend nursing conferences, including AORN, OR Manager, and AORN Chapter Conferences. They are so much fun! In October, I attended the Periop ConneCT conference in New Haven, Connecticut. It was an incredible conference, and I was honored to be selected as a speaker for this event. I’m going to give you a photo… Read More Nursing Conferences are Fun! My Latest Conference Experience in Connecticut

— Medical Missions, Operating Room, Real Life —

Day 1 in the OR: Finding Perspective in a Chaotic Case

February 8, 2024

In December, I served on a medical mission trip to Honduras. I had the privilege of working alongside world-class surgeons and surgical teams from across the country. It was my first time traveling overseas on my own, it was my first time serving on a medical mission trip, and it was an incredible, humbling experience.… Read More Day 1 in the OR: Finding Perspective in a Chaotic Case

— Operating Room —

Celebrate Your Sterile Processing Superstars

October 11, 2022
Sterile Processing Week

Happy Sterile Processing Week! This week is dedicated to all of the hardworking sterile processing professionals tirelessly working to ensure that every surgical instrument is safe and ready for use. Every procedure. Every Time. Each year, we take a week to recognize their hard work, but these clinical professionals are sending out thousands of instruments… Read More Celebrate Your Sterile Processing Superstars