Salute to Surgical Nurses

Nursing week is a week long celebration of nursing carreers. One of the specialties that nurses may join is the field of surgery. But what is it that a surgical nurse does?? Surgical nurses assist surgical patients thru the many areas of surgery including before, during and after operations.

It seems the surgical nurse has work to do to help both the surgeon and the patient. A surgical team often consist of surgeon, anesthesiologists and surgical techs. The surgical nurse will work with the entire team to help plan and carry out care. The nurse also helps the patients family and helps educate both patient and family

surgical nurses are also known as perioperative nurses. They must be detail oriented, flexible, able to juggle multiple priorities without missing a beat, adapt with technical skills and be team players. Surgical nurses must also be excellent communicators, have critical in a fast paced, challenging environment.

Surgical nurses care for patients that require surgery. They may work in the operating room or on surgical units for patients before and after the surgery. Nursing is an area of care that started many years ago but it was in the 1960s when schools starting teaching nursing as a specialty that things changed. Today's nursing staff works with a diverse population of patients from all ages, statuses and surgical needs.

Surgical nurses salaries are normally around $62,000 per year. Salaries are often dependent on the hospital you work for. Big hospitals can pay more since the number of patients is often higher. Smaller hospitals in rural areas may pay less. The level of a nurses experience, education and type of surgery often factor into the salary as well.

Job duties of surgical nurses are often dependent on co-workers. Nurses many times will work closely with imaging techs, surgical techs, surgeons and anesthesiologists. The surgical nurse is responsible for jobs such as:

• monitoring patients
• helping the surgeon by handing them needed items
• keeping the operating room safe and moving along
• knowing and understanding the patients history
• pre operative and post operative care
• pain management of the patient after surgery
• ensuring sterile technique

Surgical nurses have a variety of settings they can work in. They may consider cardiac catherization. labs, hospitals, surgical centers, ambulatory surgical centers, emergency rooms or urgent care centers. Surgical nurses are required to have a current, active registered nursing license with a minimum 2.000 hours of medical surgical nursing practice and at least two years of registered nursing experience Some hospitals may require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 

Surgical nursing is a fast growing nursing specialty. With an increase in employment opportunities over regular registered nurses it is a field choice many R.Ns will consider. 

\