Travel OR Nurse Jobs

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

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.

• 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.

• 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