OR Nursing Shortage

Posts: 14 · Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: WEST VIRGINIA

What do you mean swap for doctors? Do you mean move cases around from room to room? We do that a lot. Anything to move the schedule around. I hate it when I'm in a room, but understand it has to be done to keep things moving.

Do you all have Block Scheduling--a doc has assigned hours that he can do anything he wants in? It works pretty well for us with a few exceptions. Our biggest problem with that is administration lets docs have block time who hardly ever come there. Blocks release at certain periods before the date, but it still ties up rooms you know won't be used.

Posts: 23 · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 23 Location: oklahom

yes, instead of same crew, same room...we flip/flop either just room or anesthesia and/or crew...so the turn over time is less....the anesthesia say there is a stipulation in their contract that they wont do this...and we do it only occassionally...i don't know whey just occassionally...rarely have enough crew to run five rooms...!!! i feel if we start doing it for one doctor...why not all of them...?
yes they have blocks...i don't understand it competely...they must establish that they can have to load to get a block and they must release it in a certain amount of time...and etc...etc....since...i'm always in a room..i know very little about this.

does your manager really know what happens in the or? what about supervisor?
thanks
bs

Posts: 14 · Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: WEST VIRGINIA

We're constantly flip flopping rooms. We usually just move the cases--not the crew. If a room finishes or has down time, we'll run another case in it. Our anesthesia people hate moving to other rooms, but they'll do it.

We're supposed to be running 9 rooms 2 days/week & 11 rooms3 days/wk. Lately, we've been closing down 2-3 rooms every day due to staffing problems.

Our manager & director have never had much of a clue as to what actually goes on in the back. Since we've been so short--they've had a rude awakening! They've actually been having to help out. Lots of days our manager runs the schedule and our director has been helping out in our Prep Room.

We've got 5 new RN's we're starting to train (no OR experience). Plus in June we'll get 5 new grads. Hopefully, some of them will hang around past their orientation! I don't feel like we're able to train anyone very well right now because we're so short handed. Our regular charge nurse is due back to work Tues from having surgery, so I'll be out of that position (THANK GOD!). I hope to really get started trying to train the new people next week.

Posts: 112 · Joined: 01 Jan 2006 Posts: 112 Location: Coastal Georgia

I have worked in many areas in nursing (Med/Surg, ICU, ER, OR) and I will have to admit that in ways I found many people in the OR are unwilling to help orient new nurses. As nurses we can be our own worst enemies. Instead of working together we tend to help only or inner circle of friends treating newcomers and others as outsiders. Yes, I know helping to train and orient a new person can be tiring, frustrating, and mentally exhausting but you have to think back to when you were a graduate nurse or a RN new to the OR. It is surprising how many people will say if they were treated badly when they first started off in the OR or another speciality and that they treat the new employees the same way they were treated. When will we ever learn, stop working against each other and start working together to make a better work environment for all.

Posts: 14 · Joined: 25 Mar 2006 Posts: 14 Location: WEST VIRGINIA

I agree we can be our own worst enemies. I try to keep new people away from certain staff members & docs as long as I can. We have a couple people who've run off several people. Problem is, there's been numerous complaints about these people & administration never does anything.

For the most part, we are like family & it is hard to get people to feel like they belong. We do get tired of training new people, especially when you doubt they're gonna stay long. I wish the nursing schools would offer more perioperative classes. That would give people more of an idea what the OR is really like before they invest anytime trying to learn it after graduation.

Posts: 23 · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 23 Location: oklahom

so true...i do the same thing...avoiding certain staff and doctors. for the most part ...certain scrubs are the ones that are most diffucult to deal with.

our anesthesia does not like to change rooms also....they say it has something to do with changed to omnicell from pixis....who knows??

do you ever have to float to holding area or pacu?? instruments or cs??
we do occassionally...but of course none of them would ever have to help out in or....*S*

just like mr michael jackson said...we all have to start with the "woman in the mirror" to make a change....instead of "eating our young" we have to nuture them...just as we would have liked done to us

i'll end on that note...
bs Very Happy

Posts: 1 · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 1 Location: Eden

I am a student nurse about to grad in 2 weeks. My career path is to work in the OR. No one around here will hire new grads for the OR. Maybe if they took in so many interested students each year and began the intense training, it would begin to help the shortage.

Posts: 23 · Joined: 02 Apr 2006 Posts: 23 Location: oklahom

very true. here we hire new grads mostly. not sure why....but few stay. if it is your dream to work in the or...don't give up...it gets better...i promise. maybe you could have a meeting with the manager? are they not understaffed???
good luck
bs