Operation Room Nursing

Particularly an operating room nurse specialises in providing perioperative care for patients undergoing, receiving, and recovering from surgery, nurses may be the closest thing we have to angels on earth. It’s a high-energy discipline that necessitates both technical proficiency and a solid grasp of interpersonal skills. Hospitals and speciality clinics constantly need operation room nursing to expand their staff. To know about the pros and cons to work as an operating room nurse, keep reading this blog article till the end. 

What is an Operating Room Nurse?

An Operating Room nurse is one who assists the surgical team. They take care of patients before, during and soon after the surgical procedures. The operating room nurse is responsible for overseeing all elements of patient safety.

It necessitates a strong, unwavering resolve since it is intense and the stakes are enormous. The work is highly fulfilling despite the fact that operation room nursing can only attend to one patient at a time (this is done to lower the possibility of mistakes being made during the surgery).

Roles and Responsibilities of an Operating Room Nurse

An essential member of the surgical team in a medical facility is the operating room nurse. Let’s check out the roles and responsibilities of operation room nursing:

• Discussing patients and procedures with the medical staff during a meeting.
• Conducting diagnostics and screenings for patients before surgery.
• Organizing surgeries to make sure personnel have the equipment needed for the intended procedure.
• Describing procedures to patients or their families and responding to their inquiries.
• Getting the operation area ready, including sterilising it to make it germ-free.
• Giving patients IVs to maintain hydration levels throughout a procedure.
• Passing instruments to the surgical personnel to help with the operation.
• Keeping track of the patient’s vital signs, changing prescriptions and notifying personnel of any problems.
• Assisting the surgical team with responsibilities including drainage management during the operation.
• After surgery, decontaminate the operating room to prepare it for sterilisation.
• Informing the patient and their family of the outcome of the procedure and the need for postoperative care.

Must Read: GNM Course (General Nursing & Midwifery)

Steps to become an Operating Room Nurse

Check out these steps to become a certified Operating nurse:

Step 1: Aim for becoming a registered nurse

After completing your degree in the field of nursing, dispensing on your interest minimum educational qualification to become an OR nurse is Associate Degree in Nursing, but at the end also make sure to prepare for the exam to get an RN License, this license will allow you to start practising as a registered nurse.

Step 2: Professional Experience

Start working to gain some experience, you can look forward to working in hospitals that can provide you with a good platform to work in this profession.

Step 3: Get Certifications

By furthering your education, the license will allow you to work as a registered nurse.

Must Read: Diploma in Nursing

What are the types of Operating Room Nurses?

OR nurses can be categorized in 2 forms given below:

• Circulation Nurse: A circulation nurse is responsible for taking care of the operating room by ensuring there are no germs or contaminations from previously used instruments. They also help the surgeon by providing them with surgical equipment.
• Scrub Nurse: Basically, scrub nurses are responsible for taking care of operating equipment before and after the operation.

Pros of Operating Room Nurses

Operation room nursing has god-like powers to concentrate and remain calm. Even simple surgeries can become complex and need to be performed carefully and precisely. Below mentioned are some of the advantages to work as an operating room nurse.

• Valuable Work– You can make a significant difference in the lives of your patients by working as an operating room nurse. This can involve enhancing their quality of life through successful surgeries that increase the enjoyment of their daily activities or perhaps prolong their life. Knowing that your everyday actions have a beneficial impact on the lives of others may help to give your work a sense of meaning and may bring large amounts of personal happiness.

• Professional Respect– A popular job choice is generally one involving the healthcare industry. Many people view the decision to work in health care as a positive one because the work you perform benefits others. In addition, many healthcare occupations call for additional degrees, which can increase their professional respect.

• Job Satisfaction– Without question, working in the nursing field is fulfilling. Giving comfort to others who are suffering makes you feel good. Additionally, it can be highly satisfying to actively work to improve your patient’s quality of life. Note that when a patient wakes up following successful surgery, a sincere thank you can ease even the most trying days. Nurses admire the patients who recognise their efforts and enjoy these special times. Being an operation room nurse might be expected to be a satisfying career.

• Scheduled Breaks– Facility laws frequently include planned breaks due to the rigours of nursing shifts and the requirement for nursing personnel to be performing at their best. This aids the operation room nurse in maintaining peak performance. In addition to helping you work more effectively, breaks can improve how much you enjoy your job overall by allowing you to refocus and lower stress levels.

• Acquiring New Skills– Working in a surgical setting also allows you to never stop learning. Surgery is a diagnostic technique where the surgeon bases their decision on the vast majority of situations. However, no two bodies are constructed precisely the same. So, people are like snowflakes. And doing so necessitates continuously picking up new abilities on the job.

Must Read: How to Make a Career in Psychiatric Nursing?

Cons of Operating Room Nurses

Operation room nurse positions are not for the timid. The majority of operating room nurses work in hospitals, but they are also required in places like cancer treatment facilities, mobile operating rooms, and surgical centres. Read about the disadvantages to work as an operating room nurse below:

• Emotionally and Mentally Toxic– This profession can indeed both be physically and mentally toxic. Having a bad day in an operating room unit can result in serious complications, unsuccessful operations, or even the death of a patient. Even while the majority of your patients benefit from longer, healthier lives thanks to your work, this can all be undone by one difficult operation. This kind of tension can ideally be mentally and emotionally exhausting. Nurses must constantly have places to let off steam or else they run the risk of accumulating tension inside their bodies. To cope, many people go to counselling or engage in spiritual activity; others find solace in hobbies and social activities.

• Stressful Job– Due to the nature of your profession, being an operation room nurse can be a very stressful job. You deal with potentially life-saving situations that can magnify the effects of a mistake in the operating room. However, there are several strategies to deal with work-related stress, including regular exercise, rest, meditation, and counselling.

• Physical Exertion– You might spend several hours at a time on your feet while helping with a procedure. As a result, operation room nurses can be physically toxic, especially during long hours or lengthy procedures. You can better handle the physical demands of your profession and make each workday more tolerable by working to improve your fitness.

• High-Pressure- Wrong patient, wrong method, wrong place, and wrong all of the above! Industry reports identify these as the top four surgical mistakes. Although there is very little possibility that one of these mistakes will happen the consequences are serious, even life-threatening. Every shift operation room nursing is dealing with this stressful situation.

• Emotional Bond- You might form a personal bond with patients and their families when you meet with them. As an operating room nurse, this can be a very emotionally satisfying aspect of your job. It’s crucial to realise that you might also treat individuals who experience unfavourable outcomes; these relationships can make your job difficult. It’s crucial to uphold boundaries with patients and their families to continue acting professionally.

Universities offering courses for Operation Room Nursing

If you are looking forward to pursuing a career in operation room nursing, you check out the universities mentioned below:

University Name	Course Name	Course Fee
Eklavaya University	Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery	1.5 Lakh
Armed Forces Medical College	BSc Nursing	80,000
Kamineni College of Nursing	BSc Nursing	92,000
PSG College of Nursing	Post Basic Diploma in Operation Room Nursing	1,00,000
Sree Balaji Course of Nursing	BSc Nursing	1,00,000

Must Read: Nursing Colleges

Where do Operating Room Nurses work?

After pursuing your career in the profession of Operating room nurse you can work in the following areas:

• Hospitals
• Out – Patient Centres
• Surgery Centres
• Operation Theaters
• Intensive Care Units (ICU)

Salary and Job Opportunities for OR Nurses

If we talk about the scope of Operating room nurses they are high in demand. By furthering your education you can get lucrative benefits while working in this field and can earn rewarding and challenging salaries. The salary of an operating room nurse ranges from 0.2 to 5.3 lakhs per annum.

FAQs

We hope this blog article has assisted you in knowing everything about operation room nursing. To choose this profession as your career our experts at Leverage Edu can help you choose the best university for you. Call us immediately at  1800 57 2000 for 30 minutes free counselling session.