Registered Nurse - Operating Room Job Description

The Role of Circulating Nurses in OR Nursing

The circulating nurse and scrub nurse are two responsibilities that an OR nurse might encounter. Most OR nurses learn both roles after they are done with both roles. The nurses who work with the surgical staff are called circulating nurses.

As a circulator, you can help position the patient, run samples, and grab supplies. What is the difference between a scrub and circulating nurse? The two types of operating room nurses are circulating and scrub nurses.

Unlike scrub nurses, circulating nurses don't scrub into procedures and help with non-sterile tasks. A lot of training is required for OR nursing, which is a very specialized field. There is a lot of information that you need to know to be an efficient nurse.

The Operating Room Nurses

Registered nurses can practice in many specialties. The operating room has one of those. The nurse specialty is divided into three categories, each with different responsibilities.

All types of operating room nurses have the same requirements and requirements. Records of the surgical team's actions, fluids and medications are contained in the records from the circulating nurse. The nurse reports the loss of blood, urine and other body fluids to the surgeons.

The patient's specimen is labeled. The nurse takes the patient into the recovery room after the surgery. The recovery nurse gets information about the patient's progress during surgery, any problems, and the patient's condition from the circulating nurse.

The nurse must verify that the count of instruments matches the count before the procedure. Hospitals are open on a seven-day per week basis. Between the early morning and late afternoon and evening hours, there are scheduled surgeries.

Surgeries may be put into late nights or pre-dawn hours. Late nights, weekends and holidays can be worked by operating room nurses. The nurses need physical strength for long hours in the operating room.

Operational Room Nurses: Skills and Experience

Quality care to patients before, during and after surgery is provided by operating room nurses. The skills of an operating room nurse are more important than those of other nurses during surgery. Learn how to become a good surgical nurse and what skills are required.

There is plenty of room for advancement and competitive wages in the operating room nursing job. The salary of an operating room nurse is comparable to that of a standard registered nurse. The median annual wage of a nurse in May was $70,000, but the increased knowledge and skills required in the operating room leads to slightly higher salaries.

Your credentials and experience affect how much you make. Between 2016 and 2026, the College of Medicine and Science at the Mayo Clinic predicts 15 percent job growth for operating room nurses. In the operating room, there can be high levels of tension so you need to be professional and calm in order to communicate with medical team members.

Communication skills are important in easing the fears of patients and their family members. The Nurse Journal points out that effective communication is important when educating patients prior to surgery and after surgery. It is important for an operating room nurse to be very organized and competent in organizing supplies and actions to ensure the best possible outcome.

Gap Medics warns that small mistakes can have a big impact on a patient's well-being. Being detail oriented means you must be able to assist with the procedure while listening to the surgeon and monitoring the patient, equipment and other indicators that the procedure is going smoothly. Gap Medics stresses the importance of the operating room nurses being able to make decisions and confident in them.

Perioperative Nurses in Local Hospital Network and Medical Network

The OR Nurse is a person who works with the patient and their family while they are being prepared for surgery. The OR nurse helps to plan and implement various steps to and from surgery. A good deal of change and direct patient care can make nurses enjoy spending time in the OR.

The most effective way for nurses to find a position that they're interested in applying for is to look for job postings in the perioperative role throughout local hospitals or medical networks. The orientation and learning curve for nurses who are new to the role will be the same as for nurses who have been in the role before, but it may be shorter. The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the roles of perioperative nursing will increase by about 19% over the next decade.