How to Prepare for a Surgical Nurse Career
Surgical nurses care for patients immediately before procedures in the operating room (OR) or immediately after surgery in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), formerly called the recovery room. Together with surgeons, anesthesiologists and surgical technicians, they form a collaborative surgical team. Since the period of time before, during and after surgery is known as the perioperative period, the new term for a surgical nurse is a perioperative nurse.
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Instructions
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Get your RN license. You can earn either a four-year bachelor's of science degree in nursing (BSN) or a two-year associate's degree in nursing (ADN). After successfully completing your nursing program, you'll need to achieve state-specific RN licensure by passing a national exam known as the National Council Licensing Examination for RNs (NCLEX-RN).
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Get some experience under your belt. According to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), many states and employers want would-be surgical nurses to have some general nursing experience before entering the specialty. Critical care (intensive care) and emergency department nursing roles are particularly valuable for nurses who want to specialize in perioperative nursing.
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Study related topics. Colleges, universities, hospitals, health care systems and continuing education companies all offer courses that will improve your knowledge base for surgical nursing. Look for classes that focus on clinical specialties such as cardiac conditions, or on those that will fine-tune your nursing assessment skills.
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Decide if perioperative nursing is a good fit. According to AORN, perioperative nurses must be able to interact effectively with many people in a busy, stressful environment. A great perioperative nurse is caring and empathetic, but is also able to make tough decisions at critical times. To work as a surgical nurse, you'll need to accept responsibility as a health care professional, yet work collaboratively as part of the surgical team. You'll also need good physical stamina and emotional maturity.
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Learn more about perioperative nursing. AORN provides a comprehensive video learning library, as well as textbooks covering surgical standards and care of the patient in surgery.
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Complete "Periop 101." Look for local educational providers who sponsor this comprehensive perioperative nursing curriculum from AORN, or take the online course that contains 25 learning modules. You'll learn about everything from anesthesia to endoscopic surgery, and from skin prep to wound closure and healing.
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Tips & Warnings
Some hospitals and health systems provide Periop 101 for employees who want to become surgical nurses. Others will pay for you to take the online program. Once you've completed the curriculum, you'll be assigned to a seasoned surgical nurse who can help you transition into your new role.
