Duties of a Scrub Nurse

The duties of a scrub nurse may not seem that difficult to individuals looking at surgery from the outside. However, they are just as important as the doctors on the medical team. Scrub nurses play a major role in whether or not surgeons will be able to perform their procedures and get the desired outcome when it is over.

Preparation

One of the first duties of a scrub nurse is to work with the rest of the team to make sure that everything needed for the surgical procedure is in the room and that a sterile environment has been established. The scrub nurse becomes a surgeon's go-to person when surgery begins.

General Surgery

The duties of a scrub nurse during surgery are to maintain a sterile environment for the surgeon as well as the patient on the operating table in order to decrease the chances of spreading infections.

Instruments

The scrub nurse must be able to identify every instrument used in the operating room in order to pass surgeons the appropriate tools needed during procedures. The nurses understanding of each tool's function helps make the surgery go smoothly and finish in a timely manner.

Doctor's Comfort

The duties of a scrub nurse include making sure surgeons can perform their task. They have to be keen observers, noticing if doctors need their foreheads wiped or if their goggles are getting foggy.

Labor and Delivery

In the specialized field of labor and delivery, the duties of a scrub nurse include helping the surgeon perform cesarean sections.

Resources

• PERIOPERATIVE (O.R.) NURSE
• Roles of the Perioperative Nurse