How to Become a Surgical Scrub Nurse
Blood and body parts may seemingly come alive off the pages of a horror-movie script, but real life, blood-filled emergencies comprise the emotional roller coaster surgical scrub nurses face daily. This career puts nurses with nerves of steel in everyday, life-changing situations. Operating-room dramas include triple bypasses, broken bones, car accidents and injured children. The rewards this career offers aside from saving lives is a lucrative salary and steady employment in the expanding health industry.
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Instructions
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Train as a registered nurse or surgical technologist. Scrub nurses can have an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing or a nine month to two year associate or certificate as a surgical technologist, according to Degreedirectory.org. The scrub nurse assures the room is sterilized before an operation. During surgery, she passes sterile tools and dressings to the doctor and monitors the patient's vital signs.
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Attend preoperative courses. Preoperative covers all the activity occurring during the time the patient spends throughout their visit to the surgery suite, according to Albury Wodonga Health. Courses include medical terminology, microbiology and surgical physiology. Operating room nurses and technicians also study courses that include pharmacology, sterile techniques, surgical patient care and correct handling of medications. Surgical scrub nurse salaries average $40,000 annually, as of 2010, while surgical technicians average $31,000, according to Simply Hired.
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Work a general internship. Complete an intern position in a hospital or medical facility while attending school. A general internship provides hands-on training under a qualified medical staff professional to help prepare you for a nursing career.
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Add a preoperative internship position to your resume. After working as a general intern, you'll have the qualifications to apply for an internship working in the surgical area. Completing internships while in school helps you secure a job over a nurse who only has the educational background.
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Pass the National Council Licensure Examination. This exam allows you to become certified as a registered nurse. A free testing site, 4Tests.com, lets students prepare for the licensing exam by answering 49 preparatory questions on an online test. A surgical technician is also required to obtain medical licensing before starting a career in the industry.
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Check with your school. Several colleges keep job pools for growing fields such as the medical industry. Inquire about positions available through your counselor or inquire with one of your nursing instructors.
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References
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