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If you want to become an operating room nurse, you first need to determine if this career path is a good fit for your skills, interests and personality traits. If the following description sounds like you, then you’re probably well suited for a career as an operating room nurse:
• You have a keen interest in the theory and practice of nursing care
• You an interest in providing quality care to those who are undergoing surgical procedures
• You would be able to function productively in a demanding environment with a large patient turnover
• You have physical, emotional and intellectual stamina
• You are able to take direction, as well as direct the work of others
Below we've outlined what you'll need to begin a career as an operating room nurse.
Who is Operating Room Nurse?
Operating room nurses, also known as surgical nurses and perioperative nurses, are the leaders of the health-care team who facilitate the timely assessment, care, treatment, education, discharge and follow-up of nursing care within a surgical setting.
Operating room nurses are responsible for planning, executing, directing and evaluating the nursing care given to a surgical patient. The nursing care provided by an operating room nurse ranges from preoperative intervention to postoperative evaluation.
Operating Room Nurse Job Duties
• Ensures continuity of care after the operation
• Maintain records of procedure and report any unusual occurrences
• Ensure medication is administered according to established policies and procedures
• Position patient and prepare operating area
• Supervise other nursing staff in operating area
• Immediately report any unusual occurrences to charge personnel, documents appropriately in the patient record, and completes Hospital Incident Reports form if indicated
• Observe patient for changes in condition
• Promptly report any errors pertaining to medication
Eligibility Needed to Become an Operating Room Nurse
To become an operating room nurse , you must first qualify to become certified as a registered nurse (RN), and then pursue on-the-job experience in operating room nursing.
Although not common, some employers may require additional education in the field of surgical nursing, either in the form of a graduate level certificate or a masters degree in nursing with a specialization in surgical nursing.
Skills Needed to Become an Operating Room Nurse
Becoming an operating room nurse requires a certain set of skills; skills that are applicable to a career as a registered nurse in general, and skills that are applicable to a career as an operating room nurse.
• Able to demonstrate knowledge of current nursing theory and practice relevant to the Operating/Recovery Room
• Able to function productively in a very demanding environment with a large patient turnover
• Able to organize assigned workload and set priorities
• Able to deal effectively with a variety of contacts, including co-workers, physicians, patients, residents and families
• Knowledge of the professional and legal responsibilities relating to nursing care
• Able to identify types of pain, such as neuropathic, visceral, somatic, and psychological
• Cardiac monitoring skills
In addition to these skills, operating room nurses must be able to recognize the clinical presentation of, and provide care for, patients with a wide variety of ailments, including:
• Neurological (neuromuscular disorders, head injuries, seizures, altered levels of consciousness, etc.)
• Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat (hearing or vision loss, inflammatory processes, infectious processes, etc.)
• Cardiovascular (heart failure, shock, cardiac arrest, hyper/hypotension, etc.)
• Respiratory (airway obstruction, pleural effusion, lung cancer, sleep apnea, atelectasis, etc.)
• Gastrointestinal Systems (inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, bariatric issues, liver diseases, etc.)
• Genitourinary and Reproductive Systems (urolithiasis, prolapse, infections, cancer, renal failure, etc.)
• Musculoskeletal and Integumentary (osteoarthritis, traumatic fractures, infections, ulcers, skin cancers, etc.)
• Immunology, Hematology and Endocrinology (diabetes, blood dyscrasia, immunosuppression, etc.)
• Infectious Diseases, Prevention and Control (Antibiotic-resistant organisms, communicable infections, etc.)
Who Employs Emergency Room Nurses?
Emergency room nurses are employed on a part-time, full-time and casual basis, typically by the following types of organizations:
• Outpatient and inpatient care facilities
• Adult medical clinics
• Community clinics
• Pre-admission clinics
• The Armed Forces
• Public and private hospitals
• Regional health authorities
• Sports Medicine clinics and facilities
• Cosmetic surgery clinics and facilities
• Colleges and universities
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