Welcome to Operating Roomers!

We’re ready to spill the tea from behind the red line (Operating “Roomers”… get it?) We’re dedicated to improving transparency, education, and work culture in the perioperative world. You can watch us on YouTube, listen on Podbean, or read along here at our blog. Building a community and creating a safe space for learning are some of our top priorities here at Operating Roomers. Join the conversation – leave a comment or a question, and we’ll look forward to chatting with you!

Hi, I’m Kat! I’ve been a nurse for over a decade, spending my first two and half years in Cardiac Telemetry. When burnout prompted the need to switch gears, it was challenging to know if the Operating Room was the right decision because there were so few resources at the time. One day of observation in nursing school was not enough to really understand life behind the red line. I’m so happy I took the leap and found my place in nursing. 

It was not an easy transition, but the OR definitely felt like the best kept secret in healthcare. The workflow, knowledge base, and culture were all completely different. It was amazing to discover how many roles and career opportunities existed in the OR, as well as the depth of learning specialties within specialties. It was just the right mix of patient care, team camaraderie, professional challenge, and work life balance.

Over the years, many friends reached out with questions because there continued to be limited information about the OR. I also precepted many nurses struggling through culture shock and a learning environment they were unable to prepare for. An even greater gap was evident for those new to speciality teams such as Cardic, Thoracic, and Vascular (CVOR/CTOR). It’s impossible for even experienced staff to know everything (myself included), and it became obvious that we all want the resources to do our jobs well and do right by our patients. 

I started creating resource tools for myself and my colleagues, began helping with inservices and process improvement projects, and became intentional about encouraging a positive work culture in surgery. I’ve finally found the courage to make a greater impact by “going public” to help support our community of Operating Roomers. 

I love that I am continually learning, and I hope you enjoy learning alongside me. I’d love to hear both your questions and experiences, and I know others can learn from them too!