Should You Hire New Grads or Veteran RNs?
Pros and cons of hiring nurses with varying degrees of experience.
I
f you're like most facility leaders, you're looking for a nurse with
at least 1 or 2 years of OR experience when hiring a new RN.
Sure, there are benefits to going that route, but have you consid-
ered hiring a new college grad or a long-time RN who earned her
stripes, say, in the ICU?
Recent nursing grads
• Advantages. Nurses fresh out of school are
still in the learning phase of their careers, so
they're used to being taught new things as
you mold them into the type of staff member
you want and need for your facility. School
nursing programs rarely include curriculum
about OR nursing. That means new recruits
are clean slates who will have plenty of
learning to do, but that can work to your
advantage. They're like sponges: eager to
soak in all the lessons you're willing to
impart.
• Challenges. New nurses obviously haven't yet applied their degrees
in real-world practice, so there will be some growing pains as they learn
basic nursing concepts, familiarize themselves with your processes and
procedures and understand how to prioritize their responsibilities —
before you add in lessons on the specifics of OR nursing, including how
to use numerous surgical instruments and platforms.
They likely haven't had any professional experience, and nursing is a
difficult profession to enter as the first job of your career. New nurses
therefore have to be taught the importance of being on time and pre-
2 6 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 7
Staffing
Mary Wilson, BSN, RN, CNOR
•
RARING
TO
GO
New
nurses
have
to
learn
the
ropes,
but
are
eager
to
learn
and
pitch
in
to
help
wherever
they're
needed.
Endoscopy
Center
of
Red
Bank
(N.J.)
