Hospital OR Job Vs. Hospital Surgical Center Job?

Nursing is a rewarding and challenging career. Once you are finished basic training, there are countless opportunities for specializing in particular areas of patient care. Nurses who are interested in surgery often wonder about whether to look for work in hospital operating rooms or in surgical centers. The right choice depends on various factors.

Your circumstances

A nurse’s personal circumstances can play a role in deciding which area of specialization is most apt. A young nurse with no partner or kids probably has a wider range of options, and can meet the flexibility requirements of working in a busy OR. ORs are often called on to deal with emergency cases. That means OR nurses must be very flexible in terms of working hours. For example, if a patient requiring major emergency surgery that will last for hours is brought in at 4 pm, the OR nursing staff cannot expect to just go home at 5 pm. In contrast, hospital surgical centers usually carry out mainly scheduled surgery. They will work to a fixed schedule. This will suit people for whom regular times are essential.

Personality

Your personality also plays a part in making your specialization choice. People respond differently to stress. Some people are very good at handling stressful situations. Others just cannot cope with severe stress. A hospital OR room can be an extremely stressful environment. The people who work in it must be able to keep calm and cool no matter what is thrown at them. If you think you are the type of person for whom an OR environment would be too stressful, then a hospital surgical center is a better choice for you.

Energy

We have already alluded to the way in which ORs can be suddenly very busy handling emergency cases, and how some of the procedures can last for hours. That can be very demanding physically. You will need to have plenty of energy if you want to work in an OR. Your physical fitness will be important. You may struggle if you are older, or your are not in the best physical condition.

Making the decision about whether to work in an OR or a surgical center is tough. If you think you could survive in the high pressure environment that the OR represents, then it is probably the best option. You will get to improve your nursing skills. You will also get invaluable experience dealing with many different types of medical problems.