Medical Surgical Nursing

Career Field - Surgical Nurses

Many people fear that when they go in to have surgery that there will be no one in the room to speak for them. If something goes wrong or their comfort and safety will not be a priority who will stand up for them? That is the role of the surgical nurse. A surgical nurse becomes a patient’s advocate, their voice while they are under sedation and undergoing surgery. The job of the surgical nurse does not stop there.

It is also the responsibility of the surgical nurse to make sure that the patient comes through surgery with as few complications as possible. This should not scare you away from entering into surgical nursing; it should in fact be a driving point for you to take on the challenge and the joy of surgical nursing.

You can put your mind at ease right now, because surgical nurses are faced with life and death situations occasionally not daily. Surgical nursing is a rewarding career where you are more then the care provider on the floor, you are more then the go between for patients and doctors and care extenders in the hospital. You as a surgical nurse are able to assist the surgeon and the surgical team during surgery. This can be exciting, your responsibilities will vary depending on the surgeon that you are working with.

As a surgical nurse, you also get to know the patient before surgery. It is your responsibility to get to know the patient, go through their medical history with them to make sure that there are no unknown allergies, conditions, medications or concerns. From there you then go back to the surgical team and make sure that they are aware of any concerns or things that could alter the surgical procedure. It is by following through on your responsibilities that you make sure the patient has a voice and that they come through surgery with few or no complications.

What does it take to be a good surgical nurse? You need to be intuitive, caring and sympathetic. You also need to be able to think on your feet and make quick decisions. A surgical nurse needs to be able to communicate effectively with not only the surgeon but the entire team during surgery.

Today as a surgical nurse you are not limited only to a hospital for your employment. As technologies advance there are more places that for a surgical nurse such as ambulatory surgery centers and emergency medical centers. Not to mention that there are some surgeons that prefer to have their own nurse on his staff to assist during procedures.

To become a surgical nurse you will need to complete your bachelor degree in nursing and pass the state certification test. Your education does not have to stop there, you will find that there are many educational opportunities available to you as a surgical nurse and if you would like get certified as a nurse for the operating room you will have that opportunity too.  

A beginning pay rate for a surgical nurse working in a hospital is about $19.00 per hour. This averages out to approximately $40,000 per year. This will vary depending on where you live, where you work and if you have any other certifications.