Travel OR Nurse Jobs
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Travel OR Nurse FAQs
What are the best agencies for OR Nurse jobs?
The agencies on Vivian that currently have the most OR Nurse jobs are OneStaff Medical (511), TotalMed Staffing (499), and Host Healthcare (459).
How Much Do OR Nurse Jobs Pay?
- min - $917
- avg - $3,023
- max - $6,000
What is an Operating Room Nurse?
Many operating room nurses work in hospital surgical departments, but they also work in outpatient surgery centers. Besides general surgery, operating room nurses may also choose subspecialties within the field, such as cardiovascular surgery or neurosurgery.
Operating room nurses, also called surgical nurses or perioperative nurses, are RNs who specialize in the operating room. Perioperative nurses help plan, administer, and evaluate the treatment of patients scheduled for various surgical procedures. They work closely with patients and their family members, as well as the surgical staff and other health care professionals.
Operating Room nursing at a glance
Scope of practice:
Care for patients before, during, and after surgery
Address patient and family member concerns
Monitor patients’ vital signs and report adverse changes
Gather necessary surgical equipment and supplies for the scheduled procedure
Ensure operating room sterility and optimal patient care
May work as a scrub nurse, circulating nurse, or RN First Assistant
Where do Operating Room OR Nurses work?
Many perioperative nurses work in the surgical department at hospitals, including preparing patients for surgery in the pre-op area and ensuring they’re safe to transport to the PACU after surgery. OR nurses may also work in ambulatory surgery units also called outpatient surgery centers.
Operating theatres are often fast paced, demanding, and stressful with little down time as a surgical team moves from one procedure to the next during a busy operating schedule. Operating room nurses must have physical stamina and emotional strength. This is true in operating rooms that perform general surgeries, but even more so in trauma or critical care surgery where patients present more severe conditions. Finally, OR nurses may also work in surgical units specializing in specific fields, such as cardiovascular surgery, plastic or reconstructive surgery, neurosurgery, oncology, pediatrics, or ophthalmology.
How to become an Operating Room Nurse specialist?
Operating room nurses must first become registered nurses by graduating from nursing school and passing the NCLEX-RN licensing exam. Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support certifications are required, and it’s advised to obtain a Certified Nurse, Operating Room certification.
What does an Operating Room nurse do?
Operating room nurses assist surgical teams in the care of patients before, during, and after all types of operations using a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to patient care. Tasks vary because there are three distinct roles within the OR nursing field, including:
Scrub nurses: provide instruments and supplies to surgical staff during an operation
Circulating nurses: help maintain a safe operating room while managing overall nursing care
RN First Assistants: assist surgeons with direct surgical care, such as suturing and controlling bleeding
Prior to an operation, OR nurses answer questions and address concerns among patients and their families. They gather all the necessary supplies and patient info, ensuring the OR is set up properly. Because OR nurses play such an important role in the safety and positioning of the patient in the OR, their job requires an exceptional amount of attention to detail. During surgery, they continuously monitor the patient’s condition and inform the surgical staff of any adverse changes.
Following surgery, OR nurses ensure the patient is stable and recovering well enough to send to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). Operating room nurses also educate patients on appropriate post-op recovery procedures, including how to properly care for surgical wounds to prevent infections and manage post-surgery pain with prescribed or over the counter medications.
What skills make a good Operating Room nurse?
Operating room nurses are expected to be highly skilled RNs, meaning they’ve honed their clinical experience to become quick, efficient, and precise when providing compassionate care to patients. The complex, high-paced OR environment makes certain skills even more desirable. Organization, communication, and teamwork skills are critical for a good operating room nurse to enhance patient safety and facilitate optimal outcomes. Other necessary skills include:
Ability to remain calm under pressure
Compassion and empathy to patients’ needs
Problem solving to make critical patient care decisions
Multi-tasking to effectively coordinate patients’ health care
Attention to detail while monitoring patients for adverse changes in their conditions
Decision making to effectively determine when intervention or consultation is required
Maintaining a sterile environment and optimal patient positioning
What certifications are commonly held by Operating Room nurses?
Operating Room nurses may hold BLS - Basic Life Support, ACLS - Advanced Cardiac Life Support, PALS - Pediatric Advanced Life Support or CNOR - Certified Perioperative Nurse among others.
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Travel Nurse Pay Breakdown
Recently filled jobs
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- Providence, RI
- 4x10 hrs
- Days
- Referral Bonus
$5,353/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- Northridge, CA
- 4x10 hrs
- Evenings
- Referral Bonus
$5,086/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- Long Beach, CA
- 5x8 hrs
- Days, Flexible
- Referral Bonus
$5,080/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- Santa Cruz, CA
- 4x10 hrs
- Evenings
- Referral Bonus
$4,952/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- Bakersfield, CA
- 4x10 hrs
- Days
- Referral Bonus
$4,827/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- La Mesa, CA
- 3x12 hrs
- Days
$4,809/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- New York, NY
- 4x10 hrs
- Days
$4,805/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- Long Beach, CA
- 4x10 hrs
- Days
- Referral Bonus
$4,792/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- University Hospital
- Newark, NJ
- 4x10 hrs
$4,712/wk
Travel Nurse RN - OR - Operating Room
- Portland, OR
- 4x10 hrs
- Days
- Referral Bonus