Overview

The Operating Room RN Circulator plans and performs all nursing care for patients who will undergo surgery and other invasive procedures. They provide nursing care from assessment to outcome evaluation. With this role, the RN Circulator is usually the single advocate for patient safety during operative procedures. The RN Circulator assists the team in creating and maintaining a comfortable and safe environment for the patient and observes the team from a wide perspective to provide safety within the period of the operation. 

Responsibilities

The circulating nurse is the patients primary advocate while they are undergoing surgery and are unable to speak for themselves. Must use critical thinking, nursing judgement, and integrity to speak up for the patient when needed.

Provides a safe and comfortable environment for surgery. Ensures patient is positioned and secured on the O.R. table in a neutral position advantageous for the surgery ensuring all limbs are in anatomical position, and skin is free of pulling, pinching, or shearing forces.

Prepares O.R. suite for surgery. Ensures all needed surgical and emergency equipment is present and operational before bringing patient into the room. Has all medications prepared and surgical counts performed with the surgical scrubbed person. 

Communicates with surgical team, surgeons, anesthesiologist, scrub techs, and coordinators to ensure all surgical needs have been anticipated and met before bringing patient into the operating room.

Conducts safety checks along the surgical continuum to ensure patient's chart is complete and accurate. Checks history and physicals, doctors orders, consents, and preference cards, and charts completely and timely all info in ORM.

Ensures all members participate in surgical TIME OUT before start of procedure to ensure everyone is informed and ready to perform the correct procedure on the correct patient and all important information relative to the patient can be discussed before starting.

Acts as unsterile member of the surgical team. Brings all anticipated needed supplies and equipment into room before case and stocks the cabinets for quick retrieval. Acts as runner to get any need supplies that are not located inside of the surgical room.

Assists anesthesiologist with blocks, arterial lines, hanging blood products, induction, and intubation. Fill supplies in anesthesia carts and turns over anesthesia machine when anesthesia tech is not available.

Dispenses medications to surgical technologist, surgeons, and anesthesiologists in a safe manner, verifies correct dosage, strength, route, and expiration date. Verifies patients allergies and home medications to ensure safety.

Provides conscious sedation for procedures as needed. Screens patients to ensure they are candidates for sedation. Monitors patient's vital signs and response to sedation medications. Monitors for over-sedation and gives reversal medications as needed.

Qualifications

Education: Current RN License; BSN preferredExperience: Minimum 1 year in Operating Room EnvironmentLicenses & Certifications: Current California RN license, ACLS; BLSRequired Skills & Knowledge: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, must have the ability to read and comprehend written instructions to interpret medical orders and medical records. Able to utilize deductive reasoning, common sense and critical thinking to problem solve and demonstrate the ability to make independent, appropriate judgments based upon evidence based practice.

Compensation

Minimum:

Maximum: