Surgery nurses, also known as perioperative nurses, have a variety of duties in the operating room. Surgeon, circulating nurse, and RN first assistant are the most common roles for professionals in this field. The responsibilities of a perioperative nurse will differ depending on the kind of surgery they specialize in, such as cardiac, dental or trauma surgery. The ability to specialize in a particular nursing field is one of the many benefits of being a nurse.
If you are interested in medical and surgical nursing, there are several things you ought to know, including:
Differences between scrubbing or circulating
Surgical nurses care for their patients before, during, and after surgery. Several nurses will be involved in the patient’s preparation for surgery, during the operation, and in the recovery area. Scrub nurse and circulating nurse are the two primary tasks for nurses during surgery.
Depending on the intricacy of the situation, there may be just one nurse in each of these positions. Nurses in scrubs use surgical soap to clean their hands and arms before donning a surgical gown and gloves. They prepare for the surgeon’s requirements in advance by choosing and delivering tools and materials.
The circulating nurse serves as a go-between and assists as necessary. They are in charge of keeping tabs on what is going on all around the room. They assist the scrub person and the anesthesiologist.
They take care of your phones and beepers and provide you with food and other necessities. They’ll pick up everything you’ve dropped, re-sterilize it, and return it. It would help if you understood what a surgical nurse does before jumping into the field.
Excellent ability to convey ideas orally
Communication with medical team members in a calm and professional tone is vital while operating on patients. Your ability to communicate effectively with patients and their loved ones is equally critical to their well-being. According to the American Nurses Association Journal, it is essential to communicate effectively with patients before and after surgery.
An essential quality is communicating with the whole team successfully. The patient’s safety is always the most important consideration, and a good OR team has members they can rely on to speak out when anything is amiss. No matter who points out a problem, everyone on the team must feel free to voice their concerns. During long surgeries, the team nurse serves as the director and is responsible for keeping the surgeon, scrub tech, and anesthetic provider in sync, anticipating their requirements, and staying in touch with the patient’s family.
Teamwork is essential
A surgical nurse’s ability to function in a team environment is one of the most crucial qualifications. Scrubbed-in patients, for example, have to rely on the circulating nurse to bring them their supplies from the adjacent room.
You have your team’s support, and they have yours as well. Having a tight working relationship with a group of individuals, you can virtually tell if anything is wrong or need something simply by looking at their faces. When you are working on a project with a highly specialized team, and everyone is on the same page, you will notice this.
It’s not the quickest path to success, but it is not impossible
Perioperative nursing positions are seldom given to young graduates. It is more probable for rookie nurses to work their way up to specialization after gaining some experience.
Nurses should take a few measures if they are interested in making the same transfer inside the operating room. To begin, express your enthusiasm. People may hear you if you repeat it enough times, and there may be a chance. Once you have shown others that you have got what it takes, you may go on to the next step.
If they ask you to help with anything at your present employment, go ahead and do so. Never say “no” to any opportunity or request. The more eager you are to learn, the more likely they believe that you are open to learning new skills in another nursing field.
There are numerous ways to make a difference in a fast-paced, exciting career in surgical nursing. There are various opportunities available to you to help save lives, aid surgical teams, and contribute to a higher standard of care for patients. Perioperative nursing encompasses many specializations, which may lead to a fulfilling career that provides both professional advancement and financial rewards.