OR nurses: how did you get your start? Did you start in an OR residency or get hired without experience?

I was a scrub tech for 20 years and then went to nursing school. From there I went directly into a periop AORN 101 program. This program will give you everything you need to get started. Apply for one of these programs. They are very competitive. Good luck.

It would be hard to get an OR job in a major medical center but maybe a community hospital. I worked in the OR for 40 years and loved it. Maybe there’s a periop course you can find at a community college. That would be helpful. Best of luck!

I was a surgical tech first. Got my RN and was hired right out college in the OR before I even passed my NCLEX