Registered Nurse Operating Room Circulator PRN

The Operating Room Registered Nurse is responsible for the nursing activities related to the patient’s care experiencing an operative or other invasive procedure. The Registered Nurse is a resource person and guides non-licensed personnel. The staff member can expect to care for adult patients, including the older adult through geriatric and pediatric patients from 1 month through adolescence. The attached criteria-based performance evaluation provides a specific set of standards related to age‑specific competency.

Responsibilities:

• Meets all required deadlines and demonstrates discretionary ability in establishing priority.
• Delivers indirect and direct patient care according to established standards, taking into consideration the age and risk factors of the patient.
• Possesses the knowledge and ability to use the nursing process to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate the patient’s care.
• Uses nursing judgment in decision‑making.
• Acts as patient advocate in meeting physical and psychological needs.
• Provides care to each patient undergoing surgical interventions in a manner that preserves and protects the patient’s autonomy, dignity, and human rights.
• Identifies the patient and confirms informed consent, ensuring that all required contents of the medical record are present pre‑operatively.
• Takes emergency calls as required.
• Understands and practices sterile technique, correctly operating sterilizers.
• Integrates and coordinates care across settings and among disciplines.
• Provides guidance and supervision for personnel assigned in the operating room.
• Recognizes and intervenes in stressful situations.
• Maintains or acquires skills in equipment and machinery necessary to complete required responsibilities.
• Performs duties of the circulating nurse during surgical procedures; performs scrub duties if circumstances require.
• Follows policies and procedures for counts.
• Follows policies and procedures for specimens.
• Properly prepares rooms, instruments, and equipment for procedures and assists in cleaning the room after completion of procedures.
• Document all records according to established policies and procedures.

Qualifications:

• Graduate of an accredited school of professional nursing.
• Minimum one year of previous OR experience required.
• Current Texas License as a Registered Nurse required.
• BLS required.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize responsibilities.
• Ability to deal tactfully with patients, families, physicians, and employees.
• Knowledgeable of hospital policies and procedures specific to operating room nurses.
• Clinically proficient in operating room nursing skills, demonstrating knowledge of the developmental needs of pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.