Things You'll Need:
- Pass state nursing board's certification exam.
- BSN Degree
- Additional coursework and certifications to work in an operating room.
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Step 1
Complete a BSN degree. The Bachelor of Science in Nursing typically takes about 4 years to complete. A surgical nurse is a specialized nurse, so you must first meet the general requirements of a BSN.
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Step 2
Continue your studies after you've completed a BSN or RN program. There is a great deal of additional education required to specialize as a surgical nurse. Even after you've passed your home state's nursing certification test, you will also have to pass another exam to become a Certified Nurse for the Operating Room.
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Step 3
Gain wide-ranging knowledge of many different surgical procedures. Some of the primary responsibilities of the surgical nurse take place during the actual surgery itself. The surgical nurse in the operating room is expected to assist the surgeon and must have a broad knowledge of medicine.
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Step 4
Get to know your patients. The surgical nurse is the patients representative in the operating room. A surgical nurse must know his or her patients much more intimately than a doctor can. The surgical nurse must be intimately familiar with the patients medical history as well as the current emotional and psychological state.
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Step 5
Hone your people skills. Clinical proficiency is of course important, but equally important is the surgical nurse's ability to communicate with his patients and to ease their worries. Expect to spend time talking to your patients and letting them know what to expect.
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Step 6
Develop self-confidence and learn to trust your instincts. In the operating room, split-second decisions that can have life or death consequences are common. In these situations, you simply do not have the luxury of time enabling you to second guess yourself.
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Step 7
Visit the website of the Association of Operating Room Nurses to learn more about what a career as a surgical nurse entails (see Resources below).
