Job Purpose:

The RN Circulator is responsible for the overall care of patients in the operating room, including ensuring the patient receives the utmost and safest care and assisting the surgeons and anesthesiologist in performing surgeries.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Prepares the operating room for surgery, ensuring that proper equipment and supplies are ready and available using aseptic technique during setup while opening all sterile packs and supplies; prepares any medications necessary for the surgery
• Prepares patients for surgery including reviewing medical history, verifying proper consent, assessing the patient and verifying correct patient and surgical site, and educating patient on surgery expectations
• Receives reports from pre-operative nurse and transports patients to operating room
• Assists anesthesia with intubation, assists with proper positioning of the patient, and provides the surgeon and/or anesthesia with any additional supplies necessary for the surgery
• Prepares for the end of surgery, assists anesthesia with extubation, and transfers patient to PACU
• Cleans operating room after surgery, including disposing biohazards and supplies; prepares the room for the next surgery
• Provides clear and accurate documentation throughout the surgical case
• Ensures prescribed medications are administered and documented appropriately
• Ensures specimens obtained during surgery are labeled correctly and are placed in appropriate bin
• Assists in restocking the operating room and anesthesia carts; completes proper supply count for each surgery
• Maintain yearly required programs including but not limited to
  • Infection Control/OSHA
  • Annual TB Testing
  • Fire Safety
  • All codes
  • Locate MSDS

Competencies:

• Patient Focus: Provides care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs and values; listening, informing, and involving patients in their care
• Technical Expertise: Applies advanced knowledge of professional medical practice, regulations, and organizational policy to provide quality, patient focused care within scope of role, build relationships with care team, patient and families, and maintain a safe working environment
• Adaptability: Maintains composure in a fast-paced environment, managing changing priorities and adjusting response appropriately to achieve goals; responds to change with a positive attitude and willingness to learn new ways to accomplish work activities and objectives.
• Attention to Detail: Thoroughness in accomplishing a task through concern for all the areas involved, no matter how small. Monitors and checks work or information and plans and organizes time and resources efficiently
• Communication: Actively listens, interprets verbal and nonverbal cues, and seeks to understand; presents information clearly both verbally and written with the goal to inform and care for patients; able to adjust presentation as needed for audience.
• Comprehension: Understands and applies detailed instructions and factual information in oral, written and /or diagram form.
• Initiative / Independence: Works independently with little needed direction taking responsibility for own time and effectiveness. Proactively recognizes opportunities to contribute, recommends and implements process improvements
• Judgment: Acts with the patient's best interest making timely and informed decisions in complex situations; accepts responsibility to maintain patient confidentiality
• Planning and Organization: Manages a high volume of tasks at one time, prioritizing workload while maintaining a high level of attention to detail
• Teamwork: Actively works with others towards shared goal. Encourages cooperation. Aware of the needs of others and responds flexibly. Shares information and supports other team members. Seeks opportunities to develop others

Organizational Culture:

All OrthoIllinois employees focus on service by putting the mission, vision, and value statements into practice and using the guiding principles of Compassion, Respect, Trust, Integrity, Innovation, Education Fiscal Responsibility, Practice Independence, Accountability, and Empowerment to direct their interactions and decision making. Employees promote and model the service standards to create lasting impressions, extraordinary moments, exceptional on-stage experiences, and meaningful and compassionate connections.

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Associate's degree or equivalent in Nursing from a two-year college or technical school
• Current license to practice nursing in the state of Illinois
• BLS certification required
• PALS and ACLS certification required
• A minimum of one year of experience nursing experience
• Previous OR experience preferred
• Basic working knowledge of Microsoft and Google suites
• Basic working knowledge of EMR systems

Environmental/Working Conditions:

Working environment is an ambulatory surgery center.Consistent work hours outside of normal business hours including evenings and occasional weekends.

Physical/Mental Demands:

• Stand and walk for extended periods of time
• Requires lifting, carrying, or moving heavier objects (i.e. pushing or pulling up to 100 pounds and lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds

Possess full range of motion in shoulders and arms, including reaching above or below the shoulder.

• Finger dexterity for typing on a keyboard and using a mouse for extended periods of time; ability to twist hands or wrists repetitively
• Good balance
• Vision (e.g., depth perception, color vision, strong vision up close); hearing (e.g., high pitch sounds, soft or distant sounds)

This description is intended to provide only basic guidelines for meeting job requirements. Responsibilities, knowledge, skills, abilities and working conditions may change as needs evolve.