Operating room (OR) nurses, also referred to as perioperative nurses, are Registered Nurses (RNs) who work in surgical settings, assisting patients before, during, and after their surgical procedures. Simply put, OR nurses ensure that patients undergoing surgery are cared for at every stage of their surgical journeys.
Those considering becoming OR nurses are projected to have a lot of employment options in the coming years. In general, RNs in the US are expected to see a 6% growth between 2022 and 2032, which is a faster-than-average rate for all occupations.
To help you discover if being an OR nurse is the right career choice, this article discusses what OR nurses do, their main responsibilities, and what important qualities they should possess to become successful at their craft.
What is an OR nurse?
Like other nurses, OR nurses work with physicians and other healthcare professionals to assess, evaluate, and care for patients. However, their focus is caring for patients undergoing invasive or surgical procedures, including but not limited to monitoring patients’ vitals during surgery and maintaining a sterile and hygienic operating room environment. OR nurses play a vital role in patient-centered care, ensuring that patients are constantly monitored and assessed based on their individual needs.
RNs who want to explore this nursing path should get a certified nurse-operating room (CNOR) certification. Among the requirements, nurses must have at least two years and 2,400 hours of experience in perioperative nursing, with at least 1,200 of those hours spent in an intraoperative setting. Other surgical certifications for RNs include Certified Ambulatory Surgery Nurse (CNAMB) and Certified Foundational Perioperative Nurse (CFPN).
The responsibilities of a perioperative nurse
OR nurses have various critical responsibilities, including but not limited to the following:
· In the preoperative stage, OR nurses must work with patients to complete important paperwork, conduct preoperative assessments, and ensure that preoperative clearances are in order.
· Communicate with patients, calm their fears, and answer their surgery-related questions.
· Monitor patients’ conditions during and after surgery.
· Ensure that instruments and the surgical environment are sterile
· Hand sterile instruments and supplies to surgeons and doctors as needed
· Manage the patients’ overall nursing care needs in the OR
· Educate patients and family members on surgical recovery best practices, pain management, and wound care
Qualities of a good OR nurse
As healthcare professionals working in highly technical, complex, and stressful environments, OR nurses must possess the following important qualities:
Have great organizational skills. From ensuring that all tools and instruments needed for the procedure are sterile to preventing surgical complications are actively prevented, OR nurses must be highly organized. OR nurses must perform a variety of critical tasks before, during, and after the operative procedure, which involves great coordination and being streamlined.
Have good communication, documentation, and critical thinking skills. To avoid surgical errors, which account for 25% of all claims against negligent care providers, OR nurses must be observant and anticipate the needs of both the patient and the surgical team.
OR nurses advocate for patients by communicating their observations and assessments to the rest of the surgical team, especially since patients are typically under anesthesia during surgical procedures. Perioperative nurses should always monitor patients’ responses, physiological status, and pain levels during and after operative procedures.
OR nurses must also ensure that they actively participate in communication procedures during each surgery, including handover reports, briefings, debriefings, and checklists.
Remain calm and focused. The operating room is a high-stress environment. This means that OR nurses must remain calm and focused to ensure patients receive quality care throughout their surgical procedures. Multiple studies have shown how stressed and fatigued nurses tend to make more mistakes, which could adversely impact patients’ health. Good OR nurses understand the importance of moving swiftly in a controlled manner, which means that they aren’t rushing around in the OR, which can be injurious to both the surgical team and patients.
