Conducting a fantastic pre-op interview can seem a little challenging if you’re new to the O.R. Our interactions with conscious patients are very limited. We introduce ourselves before surgery, do a quick interview, and then it’s off to dreamland for our patient while all of the work goes on around them. Yet, even though our… Read More Conducting A Fantastic Pre-Op Interview
So far, we’ve looked at 30 different things that are unique to our lives as O.R. people. It’s funny how we can see so much of the O.R. around our house – did you know an asepto makes a great bathtub toy? And it’s interesting to see how our perspective on life is shaped by… Read More You Might Work In The O.R. If…Part Three
Happy Friday! Last weekend, I shared with you Part One of this “You Might Work In The O.R.” series. (If you missed it, you can read it here) So many of you have let me know that you could relate to some – if not all – of them. Isn’t it funny how so… Read More You Might Work In The O.R. If…Part Two
Everyone that works in the O.R. has something in common – regardless of position. We all, in varying degrees, work under a heavy load of responsibility. I mean, every patient that we take into the operating room is putting their lives into our hands and they’re expecting us to give it back at the end… Read More You Might Work In The O.R. If… Part One
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
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
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
Before I dive into the 10 things I learned in the operating room, let me tell you what I used to think the OR was like: The room was cold, very quiet (like hear a pin drop kind of quiet), and the lights were very bright. No one was speaking, but everyone was waiting in… Read More 10 Things I Learned in the Operating Room