Operating Room Nurse
DeMarco finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor of science in nursing and then went on to get a master's at Regis University in science in nursing. She was a nurse assistant for two years through a 6-week program at a community college, at the beginning of her career. DeMarco then decided college was what she needed to fulfill her job requirements and went back to school to now work at the Cleveland Clinic as an operating nurse.
Interview:
What is the reason you chose this job?
Mrs.Demarco had chosen to pursue nursing mainly due to its intrinsic qualities and varying days. She describes every day to be different and exciting.
What may be a con to your job?
The one thing she believes to be hard is how the work may infringe on her free time. In the operating room, it is a 24-hour service. Sometimes, you never know when you are needed and for how long. She highlights that being on call may also mean putting life on hold. Nights, weekends, and holidays may be the hardest times to get time off.
What do you recommend to people aspiring to be in your position?
There are so many people who are constantly working to keep a hospital functioning and deciding where you desire to fit in can be a lengthy process. DeMarco highlighted the importance of talking to various positions and specialties before making your final decision.
Why did you choose your specialty?
Mrs. DeMarco had chosen a surgical nurse due to her tendency to see the technical side of situations. She enjoyed her Anatomy and Physiology classes and being a scrub nurse allows her to truly see the curriculum in action. Every day she is learning and gets to only have to see one patient at a time. She also has much respect for surgeons and finds what they do very interesting.
What are the challenges your position poses and how do you deal with them?
As a nurse, you are expected to know almost everything that is happening and where. During the interview, she harped on being prepared because you never know when a case can take a turn. To handle a problem is also to anticipate and plan for the future. For example, she describes a laparoscopic case but is prepared for it to be an open case. Make sure that you have all the tools close to you in case of something happening. She says to always think in the sense of what you would do for a family member and treat the patient with such urgency. She then goes on to remind me that it is perfectly fine, as a nurse, to stick up for yourself and be clear to people in the room. Sometimes it may be frantic and you have to remind staff members why everyone is here. She loves her job, but if she could’ve done it differently, instead of getting her master’s she would try to be a Nurse Anesthetist or a Physician Assistant.
