Travel Operating Room Nurse Salary Guide

Before becoming an OR nurse or entering any other nursing specialty, you must meet the basic education and licensing requirements for a registered nurse. The first step is to enroll in an approved education program, which may lead to an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing. Once you have the required education, you can apply to take the National Council Licensure Examination for RNs, commonly called the NCLEX-RN. Passing the NCLEX-RN demonstrates you have the knowledge and skills to keep patients safe and comfortable.

What credentials/licensing does an operating room nurse require?

Once you have an RN license, you must earn Basic Life Support certification. You may also need Advanced Cardiac Life Support credentials to work in the OR, but you typically don't need additional credentials to work as an OR nurse. However, many OR nurses get certified to demonstrate their competency in providing perioperative care.

As an OR nurse, your two main options are the Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse (CFPN) credential and the Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR) credential.

The CFPN is designed for early career OR nurses who want to validate their knowledge as they work toward becoming eligible for the CNOR. Unlike nursing credentials issued solely based on your exam performance, the CFPN credential has several components, including a self-assessment and a reflective learning exercise. To obtain the CNOR, you must take a 200-question exam covering patient assessment, documentation, intraoperative activities, infection control anHow can you increase your pay as an operating room nurse?

ther relevant topics.