RNDude,

You are probably right about the location issue. I can say that the places that I have lived and worked (mainly the Intermountain West and Texas) it is rare for a new grad to go straight into the OR. I am not saying it doesn't happen but by comparison to the number of RN's hired in the OR the vast majority of new hires will have previous OR experience or other acute care experience. It can happen and I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from trying.

It is also becoming more infrequent that RN's scrub in the OR. Individuals looking for that type of position as an Rn are best served by seeking out those ORs that are still all Rn (also becoming fewer and further between). It is a fact of modern healthcare that hospitals are using more and more people in other specialties to try to make up for the "shortage" of RN's to free up nurses to work in the areas carrying out the duties that only nurses can do. There is somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.6 million RN's in the U.S. today and only about 90,000 surgical technologists. I find it to be an unfounded rivalry between nurses and techs in the OR, nurses cannot be replaced by techs, they can simply be given freedom to do other things that techs can't do while the tech helps the team carry our the mission of patient care.

We are all patient advocates, in the OR, we are all there to provide a service to the patient and the surgeon. I for one would be more than happy to precept a new grad nurse in the practice of scrubbing! I was very happy to see the new partnership formed 3 years ago between the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and the Association of Surgical Technologist (AST). Such a partnership and the resultant cooperation can only help us all to better serve our patients and our surgeons.

As of 2011 surgical technologist have to be licensed ( at least in colorado you have to be) , and if you are certified you generally make more money.

Actually, surgical technologist are not licensed in Colorado. The state of Colorado does what is known as Registry for surgical technologists and surgical assistants. From the AST legislative webpage:

"The states that require certification of surgical technologists are Indiana, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. Idaho requires certification or education.   Colorado requires surgical assistants and surgical technologists to register.  Washington requires surgical technologists to register. Illinois registers and licenses surgical technologists and surgical assistants.  The District of Columbia, Kentucky and Texas also license surgical assistants.  California, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Washington have prohibitions on the practice of surgical assistants (i.e. unlicensed individuals). Select each state for more information."

As you can seeonly Illinois licenses surgical technologist. It has long been a goal of AST and the profession to promote certification as the gold standard for surgical technologist because it is a national standard as opposed to the state by state standard established by licensing. Registration says nothing about the competency of a surgical technologist, it merely says that the individual involved in the registry has met the requirements of the not causing undue patient harm, or endangering patients or health care team members during the course of their practice. You lose your registry by committing crimes, negligence, malpractice, etc.... Unfortunately you cannot lose your certification as a result of being de-listed on the registry. The certification is granted by a private organization independent of the state control.

I am currently a certified surgical technologist, and want to be an operating room nurse.

but wondering since I have 12 yrs scrub experience will that help me at all  far as pay? since I will be "a new nurse" which I  get paid more than now in my job. I dont want to take a pay cut!!!  but I am not new to o.r. as other new nurses are.

also the transistion is it difficult? if anyone has done it.....

Txdommartin1, thank you for posting your knowledge...

nursespeights, I truly hope this helps you in your thoughts.. Please keep us posted..Hugs,Teresa     

Hiya snserrano, no I don't have expierence on this topic. However, I'm hoping that there are other member that may give you some insight. I thinkas a prior ER nurse for 20 years, they probably do take RN's with an associate degree.. But lately it seems that every one is looking for BSN's and above.. Have you ever thought of extending your degree? If I was you, I would talk with some human resource departments and directly ask them what is required for both ER and OR nurses to be hired... I like to go to the source instead of getting the "I think" answers.. Best of luck to you.. Please keep us posted.    Teresa

al, I think any education is not a waste, LPN will help you to RN... But if you want to eventually end up in the OR, I would go for surgical tech.. Best of luck to you.. Please keep us posted..Teresa