Requirements to Become a Surgical Nurse
Surgical nurses work with patients before, during and after a procedure. In some hospitals and patient care facilities, surgical nurses help patients manage all aspects of their treatment, including after care and the psychological impact of a surgical procedure. Some surgical nurses provide care only in the operating room. The average salary for a medical surgical nurse is $68,000, as of December 2010, according to Indeed.
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Types of Surgical Nurses
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Registered nurses (RNs) working in an operating room can be scrub nurses, circulator nurses or an RN first assistant, according to Education Portal. The scrub nurse works with the surgeon, passing instruments to the doctor and monitoring the condition of the patient. The circulator nurse brings the patient to the surgical suite and ensures the patient is relaxed before the procedure. Circulator nurses also observe the patient's condition during the procedure. An RN first assistant is a highly skilled registered nurse who works with the surgeon during the procedure and performs duties such as suturing and cutting tissue.
Education
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A surgical nurse must be a registered nurse, which requires a bachelor's degree to qualify for licensure. A nursing program consists of a combination of classroom teaching and clinical training in hospitals and health care facilities. Nurses study anatomy, physiology, chemistry, microbiology, nutrition and behavioral sciences. To qualify for an advanced position as a surgical nurse, a Master of Science degree in nursing that specializes in medical surgical nursing should follow a bachelor's degree program, according to Diploma Guide.
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Certifications
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Certifications for registered nurses are not required, but nurses can obtain a Medical Surgical Nurse Certificate from the American Nurses Credentialing Center to enhance job opportunities. The nurse must be a licensed registered nurse with two years of experience, 2,000 hours of experience in medical surgical nursing and 30 hours of continuing education in medical surgical nursing.
Experience
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Advancement and certification require a registered nurse to gain experience in the operating room to qualify for a position as a surgical nurse. A surgical nurse can acquire a master's degree in nursing and move into an advanced practice nurse position such as a nurse anesthetist. Surgical nurses may also advance to an operating director position with a bachelor's or master's degree, three to five years clinical experience and supervisory experience. A director oversees, organizes, schedules and budgets operating rooms in a health care facility.
Skills
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Surgical nurses must have organizational skills, a good attention to detail and the ability to provide reassurance and comfort to patients undergoing surgical procedures.
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References
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