The world of medicine is advancing at a high rate of speed. Procedures are done more quickly and safely than ever before. The required knowledge and skill is higher than ever as well. Surgical teams must choose the most well-trained and competent doctors and nurses to best support positive patient outcomes. If you’re interested in becoming a surgical nurse, you’re in for a wild ride! Surgical nurses and those that work in trauma experience a wide variety of experiences that challenge your resolve and offer professional growth. Learn about becoming a surgical nurse here at Felbry College.
Surgical Nursing
A surgical nurse is a professional nurse trained to assist during both routine and difficult surgical procedures. Nurses can be found around operating tables across the world, assisting surgeons with elective and life-saving procedures. Surgical nurses support a surgeon to do a job so well it would be nearly impossible to do the job without nurses there to back up the surgical team. Nurses offer help before, during and after surgery.
What to Expect as a Surgical Nurse
A surgical nurse provides many types of assistance and support in the surgical environment. Prior to surgery, a nurse may work closely with the patient to provide pre-procedure instructions and reassure the patient. A surgical nurse will have a hand in preparing the patient for surgery. This including measuring and reading vital signs, starting IVs, administering medication and assisting with anesthesiology and marking incision sites.
Once a procedure starts, a nurse may not have a moment’s rest until the end. Everyone must be on pins and needles. Nurses will take vital signs and pass instruments to the surgeons while running surgical equipment. If vital signs dip or change, the nurse must alert the team and, if necessary, perform life saving maneuvers.
Post-surgical care is also part of the nurse’s job. This includes transportation of a patient to recovery rooms or dressing a patient’s surgical sites, administering medication and follow post-op procedures.
Where Surgical Nurses Work
Surgical nurses can find employment in hospitals with surgical wards and operating rooms including trauma and emergency care centers. Employment in recovery rooms and intensive care units are part of a nurse’s work environment. A surgical nurse may need to become a registered nurse (RN) and pass the NCLEX-RN exam as well as gain necessary experience. It takes patience and diligence to become a surgical nurse but it is a rewarding profession with great personal and financial rewards.
If you’re interested in becoming a surgical nurse and contributing to the world of miraculous surgeries around the world, contact our admission staff here at Felbry College and learn how you can become a qualified surgical nurse.