Registered Nurse (RN) - PeriOp 101 - OR General Surgery

About the Role

St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport, part of Hartford HealthCare, operates a 473‑bed community teaching hospital, a 76‑bed inpatient psychiatric facility in Westport, a large multispecialty provider group, and special‑needs services for adults and children. Founded in 1903, the hospital provides a comprehensive spectrum of advanced surgical specialties including cardiac, general, GYN, neuro, surgical oncology, orthopedic and spine surgery.

The OR Transition to Practice Program is a 12‑month program designed for new graduate registered nurses and experienced nurses without OR experience. The program begins February 22, 2027 and is divided into two phases:

• Introduction to Perioperative Nursing (first 3 months): Multimodal learning through AORN Periop 101 modules, classroom/group sessions, simulation, and clinical experiences to master foundational perioperative competencies. Focus on the scrub nurse role. Completion requires passing the Periop 101 final exam.
• Clinical Orientation (remaining 9 months): Immersion in the clinical environment mastering unit‑based competencies with emphasis on the circulating nurse role across surgical specialties: general, colorectal, gynecology, plastics, bariatrics, urology, surgical oncology, vascular, thoracic, robotics, neuro, spine, orthopedics, and podiatry. Includes professional practice, development, and governance components.

During orientation the schedule is Monday–Friday, 6:30 am–3:00 pm; final weeks include exposure to evening, night, and weekend shifts. Learners are mentored by unit‑based preceptors, management, and Nursing Professional Development educators (Unit Nurse Educators) with regular check‑ins. New graduate nurses are also enrolled in the Hartford HealthCare Graduate Nurse Residency program.

Responsibilities

Operating Room (OR) nurses (perioperative nurses) provide care before, during, and after surgery, working closely with the surgical team to ensure patient safety and high‑quality care. Key roles include:

• Scrub Nurse: Works within the sterile field; prepares instruments, equipment, and sterile supplies; passes instruments to the surgeon; maintains a sterile environment; monitors instruments and supplies to prevent misplacement.
• Circulating Nurse: Manages the overall OR environment; ensures all surgical tools, supplies, and equipment are available and functional; monitors patient safety and well‑being throughout the procedure; maintains documentation and records; communicates between the surgical team and other departments (pathology, radiology, etc.); anticipates team needs and provides additional instruments, medications, or equipment as necessary.

Qualifications

• Current Connecticut nursing license required prior to start date.
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification required at time of hire.
• Exposure to perioperative nursing practice environment preferred (e.g., Summer Student Nurse Fellow, Capstone Rotation, employment in perioperative services in a non‑licensed capacity).

Eligible Units

OR General Surgery: Provides care across multiple surgical specialties including general, colorectal, gynecology, plastics, bariatrics, urology, surgical oncology, vascular, thoracic, robotics, neuro, spine, orthopedics, podiatry, and trauma. The Core OR team ensures 24/7 operating room coverage, offering a range of alternative scheduling options. Numerous opportunities exist for innovation and continued learning with new equipment and procedures.

Schedule

Orientation period: Monday–Friday, 6:30 am–3:00 pm. During the final weeks of orientation, orientees gain exposure to evening, night, and weekend shifts. After orientation, scheduling follows the unit’s 24/7 coverage model with alternative scheduling options available.

Benefits

Hartford HealthCare provides a competitive benefits program designed to ensure work/life balance.

Application Process

• Complete the online application.
• Prepare a brief essay explaining your desire to begin a career in perioperative nursing.

Applications are reviewed on an ongoing basis.