The short answer is: Yes, I think a CNOR prep course is absolutely necessary. It will dramatically improve your ability to pass the test. Let me tell you about the CNOR and how a CNOR prep course helped me pass! If you’ve been in the O.R. for any length of time, you’ve probably heard about… Read More Is A CNOR Prep Course Necessary? – My Certification Experience
There are several rules of the operating room that everyone should abide by. I’m not saying that everyone does, I’m just saying that everyone should. So I’ve put together a list of 12 rules that make our operating world go ’round. Some of these are actually a little bit more like unrealistic expectations, but they… Read More 12 Rules of the Operating Room
When I started working in the operating room, I was taught that double gloving was only for orthopedics. In other specialties, most surgical teams just didn’t see the need to wear more than one set of gloves. Yes, orthopedics is a specialty that is exposed to more sharps than most, but the benefits of double… Read More Double Gloving: Two Gloves Are Better Than One
I will never forget my first day on orientation in surgery. Total information overload – I had a deer-in-the-headlights look that everyone could see from a mile away. I watched a surgeon do a knee scope and I remember thinking, “What have I gotten myself into??!” My anxiety level was sky-high. I’m pretty sure I… Read More Orientation In Surgery: How To Be Successful
Back when I was in nursing school, I spent one of my clinical days in the operating room. It was very eye-opening. The circulator in the room let me stand as close as possible to the field so I could see everything. I watched a urologist insert penile implants during one case. I’ll admit, that… Read More Surgical Counts – Accuracy Keeps Everyone Safe
We’re all really busy, and we walk alot. We depend on our feet to be up to the task of carrying us through each shift- day, after day, after day. We definitely don’t have time for foot pain to slow us down, either. How many of you wear an activity tracker or keep track of… Read More How I Found Relief From Foot Pain
Homeschooling and working – how is that even possible?! That’s usually the reaction I get when people find out that we homeschool our kids. Everyone always wants to know how we do it. And it’s usually followed up with a question about my kids’ socialization. Even total strangers will be very concerned that my children… Read More Homeschooling and Working Full-Time
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… Read More Practical Tips For New OR Nurses
So let me tell you about the first time I ran my own room… I was fresh off orientation, and willing to do whatever assignment I was given. The new O.R. nurse has to prove herself, right? Much to my dismay I was assigned to Dr. FratBoy (names have been changed to protect the guilty).… Read More New OR Nurse Meets First Case Catastrophe
I have extremely dry skin. My hands look red and raw most days while I’m at work, and every winter, if I’m not really attentive to my skin, my knuckles and fingertips will crack, bleed, and generally just cause me no end of pain. It can be miserable. That’s just my skin – but throw… Read More Skin Care