Job Description of a Surgical Nurse
Surgical nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) with specialized training in surgical care. They work within the context of the surgical team to provide care to individuals before, during and after a surgical procedure. There are several different types of surgical nursing, each of which carries unique responsibilities.
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Working Conditions
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Surgical nurses provide direct patient care to individuals in the pre-surgical, operative and recovery periods. They can expect to work long hours under stressful conditions, and are required to be on their feet for extensive periods of time. Surgical nurses may be employed by free-standing surgery clinics, hospital trauma or emergency centers, and hospital surgical suites. Some of the characteristics of successful surgical nurses include attention to detail, patience and compassion for patients and the ability to work well within a team environment.
Scrub Nurses
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Scrub nurses are RNs who work within the sterile field, assisting the surgeon during surgical procedures. The scrub nurse scrubs her hands and arms with sterilizing soap and dons sterile garments prior to entering the surgical field. She assists the surgeon by handing over sterile instruments or other materials, adjusting equipment, and monitoring the patient's condition. Hospitals do not generally hire scrub nurses directly from nursing school, but require a specified amount of nursing experience, particularly in the role of a circulating nurse.
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Circulating Nurses
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Circulating, or perioperative, nurses, are RNs who work with the surgical team, but do not enter the sterile field. He also assists the surgical team during the procedure by securing additional supplies or instruments as needed, arranging for the transport of specimens to labs, and assisting the scrub nurse and surgeons in donning their sterile suits. One very important role of the circulating nurse is accounting for all equipment, gauze and other items used during surgery to prevent the loss of an item in the wound.
RN First Assistants
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RN First Assistants (RNFAs) are nurses with extensive additional training who provide direct surgical care under the supervision of the surgeon. He performs procedures such as clamping to control bleeding, providing wound exposure and suturing at the close of the operation. In order two work as a first assistant, nurses must have at least two years of experience in the capacity of scrub or circulating nurse, and successfully pass a comprehensive examination, the CRNFA, which is administered by the Competency and Credentialing Institute.
Perianesthesia Nursing
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Perianesthesia nurses are the RNs who assist individuals in the periods before and after surgery. Prior to a surgical procedure, this nurse is the one who begins an intravenous line, assesses the patient, performs any preparation such as shaving, and administers medications. After the surgery, a perianesthesia nurse is responsible for monitoring the patient's condition as he or she begins to wake up from anesthesia. Her duties also include removing IVs or catheters, checking on the condition of wounds or dressings, and address issues of pain management. One of the most important roles of the perianesthetic nurse is that of patient advocate, as she is in a position to convey patient needs to other staff and to provide education and support to both patient and family.
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