The OR General Surgery RN assists in general surgery procedures and handles a variety of tasks. These tasks may include handing the surgeon surgical tools and intervening if complications occur. The OR Registered Nurse will care for patients before, during and after their surgical procedure and are the backbone of any surgical team.

The OR RN has many diverse duties that can include some or all of the following:

Meeting with the patient and/or family to explain the procedure and expected recover time and answer any questions they may have.
Sterilizing and setting up the surgical tools, preparing the OR and assisting with sterile gowns, gloves and masks.
Cleaning and preparation of the incision site.
Bandage and stitch wounds and incisions
Transporting patient to recovery.

Generally speaking most OR RN's work in surgery centers, hospitals, clinics and some in private physician offices. The work environment can be high pressure and requires the ability to think and act quickly while remaining calm in crisis situations.

There are many jobs and opportunities available for travel assignments all over the country in today's market and skilled OR RN's are in demand in top facilities. You can check out our job board to see if there is one for you!

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network