OR Nursing
Operating room (OR) nurses, also known as perioperative or scrub nurses, are specialized RNs who are tasked with the care of patients before, during, and after undergoing invasive medical procedures.
We take a look at OR Nursing in this Committed Health guide – and if it’s a specialty you’re interested in or looking to enter, you’ll find lots of value in the information we lay out ahead.
Duties
OR Nurses have a variety of duties and responsibilities that span the entire process of a patient’s surgery from start to finish. Throughout this, OR nurses are also expected to communicate regularly with the patient’s family and provide guidance and support to them.
Preoperative
The scrub nurse should prepare the patient before surgery by evaluating them, educating them, and then developing a plan of care. Part of this is staying informed about the patient’s medical history. IV lines are started by the scrub nurse as well. The OR nurse ensures that the OR and all the instruments needed are prepared and sterilized; most importantly, the OR nurse assesses the patient before surgery and ensures that they are in good condition to undergo the procedure.
Intraoperative
During the surgical procedure, the OR nurse passes the instruments to the surgeon and monitors the patient’s vitals closely. The OR nurse also assists the anesthesia nurse. Other intraoperative tasks include collecting and preparing specimens for pathology, and helping with wound and drain dressings.
Postoperative
Once the surgery is over, the OR nurse has to ensure that the patient is properly handed off to the PACU, or the post-anesthesia care unit. This entails transferring the patient from table to stretcher, providing a proper report, and assisting the scrub team in preparing the room for the next case.
Work settings
Hospitals
Most surgeries are commonly performed in hospitals. OR nurses in hospitals should therefore be ready not only for the scheduled procedures (which make up the bulk of surgeries) but also for the emergency cases.
Outpatient centers
There are outpatient surgery centers for procedures that do not require a patient to be admitted overnight. Some of these surgeries might be ENT procedures, breast biopsies, cataract surgeries, tonsillectomies, and circumcisions, among many others.
Outpatient centers are preferred by many nurses because they do not have to be on-call or be in the hospital for long hours of duty.
Additional career opportunities
Operating room (OR) nurses, also known as perioperative or scrub nurses, are specialized RNs who are tasked with the care of patients before, during, and after undergoing invasive medical procedures.
We take a look at OR Nursing in this Committed Health guide – and if it’s a specialty you’re interested in or looking to enter, you’ll find lots of value in the information we lay out ahead.
Duties
OR Nurses have a variety of duties and responsibilities that span the entire process of a patient’s surgery from start to finish. Throughout this, OR nurses are also expected to communicate regularly with the patient’s family and provide guidance and support to them.
Preoperative
The scrub nurse should prepare the patient before surgery by evaluating them, educating them, and then developing a plan of care. Part of this is staying informed about the patient’s medical history. IV lines are started by the scrub nurse as well. The OR nurse ensures that the OR and all the instruments needed are prepared and sterilized; most importantly, the OR nurse assesses the patient before surgery and ensures that they are in good condition to undergo the procedure.
Intraoperative
During the surgical procedure, the OR nurse passes the instruments to the surgeon and monitors the patient’s vitals closely. The OR nurse also assists the anesthesia nurse. Other intraoperative tasks include collecting and preparing specimens for pathology, and helping with wound and drain dressings.
Postoperative
Once the surgery is over, the OR nurse has to ensure that the patient is properly handed off to the PACU, or the post-anesthesia care unit. This entails transferring the patient from table to stretcher, providing a proper report, and assisting the scrub team in preparing the room for the next case.
Work settings
Hospitals
Most surgeries are commonly performed in hospitals. OR nurses in hospitals should therefore be ready not only for the scheduled procedures (which make up the bulk of surgeries) but also for the emergency cases.
Outpatient centers
There are outpatient surgery centers for procedures that do not require a patient to be admitted overnight. Some of these surgeries might be ENT procedures, breast biopsies, cataract surgeries, tonsillectomies, and circumcisions, among many others.
Outpatient centers are preferred by many nurses because they do not have to be on-call or be in the hospital for long hours of duty.
Additional career opportunities
Once you become an OR nurse, there are still many more paths you can take to further your career. After gaining experience and hours in the operating theater, you can start to think about other things you might want to explore.
Perhaps becoming a representative for a company that manufactures surgical equipment interests you, or becoming a nurse educator excites you. Some nurses dream of assisting and coordinating in organ recovery or transplant. Management and administration are also good career pathways.
Salary
An OR nurse in the Philippines can expect to earn upwards of PhP 25,000 per month. This, of course, depends on many factors including experience, education, and additional certifications. We have open roles for OR nurses here right now, at some of the best hospitals and facilities.
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OR nursing is a serious and challenging specialty that excites many nurses! Discern well and consider all the pros and cons and how good of a match you are to the qualities needed of an OR nurse.