This week, Perioperative Nurse Week, we celebrate our profession. Even now, after more than three decades as a perioperative nurse, I am still glad that I chose nursing. I feel so fortunate that I found my niche in perioperative nursing early on as a new graduate. A very dear friend, who is searching for a new direction in her career path (non nursing) revealed to me that she really hasn’t like the type of work she has been doing, “not the way that you love your work”
I can still recall the discussions at the kitchen table with my parents, planning my high school curriculum electives in preparation for nursing school. Fortunately, I was able to escape trigonometry and calculus (whew!), but of course not algebra and geometry. At the time, physics did not appear to be necessary for a nursing degree (flash forward – hello! lasers and operating microscopes!). And typing was a mandatory course in my parents’ opinion (even for my brothers), which they saw as a basic “life skill”. Who knew how vital keyboards would become to daily life?
During high school and college I worked as a nurse aide in my hometown community hospital (Mercy Medical Center, Williston, ND, USA). I had the opportunity to work in every unit over the course of those years, except the operating room. But perhaps it was the summer working nights in the ED with the house supervisor when Lynn, a nurse aide on another unit, and I would take our break in the lab to take a look at the specimens from that day’s surgery that stirred my interest in perioperative nursing. Lynn became my preceptor in the OR a few years later.
Recently, I met with a new friend here in Zurich. Originally from Brazil she has lived in the US for the past ten years. Over our coffees, in addition to the usual details of family, hobbies and interests we shared our professional lives. We had some immediate common ground; she worked as a chaplain in hospice and hospital settings.
As I was telling her about my experiences, I realized I was slipping into my “rah rah” talk when I addressed student nurses prior to their first clinical day in the operating room, or new staff orienting in my services. What I continue to appreciate about our specialty is that it truly has something for everyone. Every specialty is possible, the full range of ages, and the entire spectrum of complexity (from robotics, multi-specialty to elegantly low tech procedures), as well as very short to very lengthy procedures.
As we observe our Week by inviting the facility “behind the door” for a once a year glimpse into our world, or with a community event, or sharing our passion with a non nurse friend, let’s also give a nod of appreciation to our co-workers over in the next specialty room. The eye and ear nurses, working in lightening fast procedures with patients of every age restoring, preserving or enhancing a vital sense (sight, hearing,); the orthopedic nurses restoring form and function; cardiovascular nurses (a little oxygenation is a wonderful thing!) and transplant nurses giving patients a new lease on life. And how about the GYN nurses, the pioneers in minimally invasive procedures! While we may not be as interested or as knowledgeable in specialties other than our favorites, isn’t it great that our co-workers are! At the end of the day, we are the same – perioperative nurses providing the best patient care.
To Lynn, Carol, Sue, Linda, Theresa, Glenda, Ann, Monica, Sue and Gert – thank you! And to all my e Chapter colleagues - the best Perioperative Nurse Week!
Best Regards,
Cynthia
President, eChapter