Becoming a perioperative nurse has to be where your heart is. You have to be going into this position for all the right reasons. This will greatly help in the times that you feel like you are exhausted and/or burnt out. It helps to really know why you are here and why you are doing what you’re doing. It has taught me to believe in myself more than anything. As long as you have that strong foundation of the basics, you can face any situation.

I feel like I have grown both professionally and personally through the acquisition of a new set of skills that makes me effective in carrying out patient care. I like the idea that, in the Operating Room, we physically mend the cause for the patient’s suffering. Especially in the open heart surgery, we literally “fix broken hearts” as a resident told me once. It gave me a certain level of self-confidence as a professional and even as a person. It made me realize that I am more adaptable and capable than what I originally thought. It also gave me the confidence in my interactions with the rest of the health care team since we really do emphasize that we are all equally valued members of the team with regards to the delivery of patient care.

Even though I am now a qualified Perioperative Registered Nurse, I feel like I am still learning. In this field, you are always learning. There are still so many cases and situations that are yet to be encountered. But I feel that I have gotten a solid foundation to be able to handle those situations and I am more willing to take on challenges. The transition from student to a qualified Registered Nurse was a steep learning curve, but everyone has been so supportive.