Surgical Nurse, Surgical Nursing Schools, Training, Education, Jobs, and Careers

What is a Surgical Nurse?
A Surgical Nurse is sometimes called a Medical-Surgical Nurse. These nurses care for patients both during and after surgery. They are aware of their patients' physical, mental and emotional status at every given time.

These are the main duties of a Surgical Nurse:

• Assist Doctors
• Administer Medications
• Monitor Patients
• Educate Staff and Family Members

Educational Requirements to Become a Surgical Nurse:

• Graduate from an accredited high school
• Attend an accreted nursing school taking such classes as,
• Anatomy
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Physiology
• Biochemistry
• Pharmacology
• Clinical education paying close attention to all on-site demonstrations of surgical practices and techniques
• Pass the NCLEX-RN - You must pass this test to be able to practice nursing
• Pass the certification test to become a Certified Operating Room Nurse by taking such classes as
• Principles of Perioperative Nursing
• Surgical Instrumentation
• Anesthesia Assessment and Patient Care

There are three main career options that a Surgical Nurse may specialize in:

Scrub Nurse - This particular nurse works directly with the surgeon while an operation is being performed, readying and handing the surgeon the correct instruments and monitoring the patient's condition during the procedure. A scrub nurse works inside the operating room's sterile field. This means that the nurse herself must be sterile. She is to wear surgical scrubs and has to wash her arms and hands with special disinfectants.

Circulator Nurse - This is a nurse that has the job of observing and managing a surgical procedure from a broad perspective so that she is able to create a relaxing and secure experience for the patient having the surgery. This nurse is also responsible for bringing the patient to the area of the operating room. A Circulator Nurse is also the one who monitors the condition of the patient during the surgery to ensure the best possible outcome.

RN First Assistant - This specialized registered nurse has to undergo additional education and training than the other surgical nurses so that they can help the doctors during the operation by using medical instruments on the patient for a variety of tasks, cutting and handling human tissues, regulating bleeding and suturing wounds. The RN First Assistant is usually the nursing staff's most highly trained member inside of an operating room.

Career Options for the Surgical Nurse:
To get a feel for what the job of a Surgical Nurse is like, it is recommended that the nurse work in a critical care unit or in an emergency room in order to understand the fast-paced and stressful environment of the med-surg nurse.

Work Options for a Surgical Nurse:
The Surgical Nurse may work in a hospital, emergency room, clinic, health care facility and an urgent care center. Make sure that you keep up-to-date on the latest nursing news and make sure that you don't forget to renew your certification at the end of five years.

Surgical Nurse Salary:
Medical Surgical nurses get paid well. The average salary nationally is $78,000 per year. As you progress through the ranks, your salary will continue to increase. Those that make it to RN First Assistant make as much as $90,000 per year.

Surgical Nursing School:
You have a few places to pursue a program in surgical nursing. We do have a place for you. You need to visit the advanced nursing degree website. Follow this link to go there now. While there, request for the free information.

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