In the Spotlight: Perioperative Nurses
Perioperative nursing, also known as operating room or OR nursing, encompasses much more then a nurse standing beside the surgeon during an operation. Perioperative nurses are focused on the patient's well-being before, during and after surgery, managing the complete patient experience from beginning to end.
A perioperative nurse is responsible for a patient's care long before surgery ever begins. These nurses schedule surgeries, perform necessary tests, prepare patients - both emotionally and physically - for the surgery and help patients and their families with decisions about follow-up care after the operation or procedure is completed.
Perioperative nurses are registered nurses (RNs) who can work in a variety of locations, including hospital surgical departments, ambulatory surgery units (or day surgery units) and medical clinics. In the operating room, these nurses may be given the following positions:
- scrub nurse selects and handles instruments and supplies used during the operation
- circulating nurse manages the overall care in the operating room
- RN first assistant delivers direct surgical care as an assistant to the surgeon.
Because perioperative nurses are required to complete a wide variety of tasks both in and out of the operating room, the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN) reports that the following characteristics are crucial for a successful perioperative nurse:
- able to interact well with all kinds of people in difficult situations
- emotionally stable to cope with human suffering and frequent emergencies
- caring and empathetic, as well as capable of making critical decisions
- able to accept responsibility and provide direction to others
- willing to collaborate with physicians and other healthcare professionals
- physically strong with good stamina to handle patients and equipment.
There are two certifications available for perioperative nurses. The first is CNOR, or certified nurse operating room. The second is CRNFA, or certified registered nurse first assistant, for those who deliver direct care as an assistant to the surgeon during the procedure.
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