Registered Nurse (RN) - Operating Room

About the Role

The Circulating RN works collaboratively with the Surgical Team to ensure patient safety and positive patient outcomes. This role involves monitoring surgical cases for continued sterility and supporting the surgical team from outside the sterile field. Responsibilities include thorough and complete intra-operative documentation, case set-up, and preparation while adhering to AORN standards and practices. After training, the role includes an on-call schedule for overbook and emergent cases at a small critical access hospital with two ORs and one endoscopy suite. Variable days into evening, Monday through Friday, with no regular holiday or weekend hours.

Responsibilities

General Clinical Practice

• Utilizes the nursing process in caring for all patients, including assessing symptoms, planning interventions, implementing treatment plans, and evaluating responses.
• Demonstrates skills necessary to provide individualized care to the population served.
• Adheres to established practice standards and procedures regarding medication administration and patient care activities.
• Makes knowledgeable decisions considering facts, disease/surgical conditions, and critical thinking.
• Evaluates patient responses to nursing/medical regimens and reassesses/revises the plan of care as necessary.
• Documents care provided using hospital standards.
• Provides education to patients and families based on learning needs assessment.
• Participates in interdisciplinary planning.
• Creates and monitors a safe patient environment free from hazards.
• Performs patient care in an environment that optimizes safety and reduces medical/healthcare errors.
• Assists in minor procedures as requested.

Specialty Clinical Practice – OR Circulating

• Demonstrates competence in surgical asepsis, surgical hand scrub, gowning/gloving, and nursing responsibilities for conscious sedation.
• Demonstrates competence in sterilization, disinfection, preparation, packaging, and storage of surgical instruments/supplies.
• Proficient in using special equipment such as positioning tables, electrocautery, insufflation, tourniquet, cameras, warming units, thromboembolic prevention, and microscopes.
• Carries out care according to AORN/ASPAN Recommended Standards of Practice.
• Advocates for patient safety throughout surgical care, addressing concerns about positioning, attire, or sterility.
• Follows Surgical Services Department Standards of Practice.
• Documents surgical events per facility standards (e.g., event times, staff movements, positioning, asepsis, counts, specimens, implants).
• Cleans environment before, during, and after cases, and at shift start/end, following AORN guidelines.
• Adheres to AORN surgical attire guidelines and ensures visitors comply.

Requirements

• Graduate from an accredited nursing program (Associate Degree required; BSN preferred).
• Minimum 1 year of med/surg or critical care nursing experience preferred.
• Previous OR experience a plus; training provided via AORN Peri-Op 101 Program modules and precepting RN.
• Certificate of completion from AORN Peri-Op 101 program within one year of hire.
• Ability to utilize electronic medical documentation.
• Strong critical thinking skills.

Qualifications

• Licensed RN with NH eligibility.
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Certified Nurse Operating Room (CNOR) certification (preferred).