New grad operating room (perioperative) residencies
Operating rooms hire new graduates through perioperative residencies that teach circulating, and sometimes scrubbing, over several months. Nursing school rarely covers the OR in depth, so these programs expect to teach you most of what you need.
What the first year looks like
- Perioperative residencies usually run longer than other starts and mix classroom time with cases across several surgical services.
- Some programs also train new nurses for pre-op and recovery (PACU).
How to stand out
- Mention any OR observation, surgical clinicals or sterile technique experience, even a single day.
- Show you understand the role: the circulating nurse is the patient's advocate while the patient cannot speak.
Keep reading
- When residency applications openMost rounds are open for about a week.
- Resume and interview tipsWhat to put first, and the questions to practise.
- RN pay by stateMedian and 25th percentile pay in every state.