Operating Room Nurse

Operating Room Registered Nurse

Assesses, plans, implements and evaluates care for all age patients in operating room. Provides care within nursing standards of practice and the policies of the Center. Makes decisions regarding direct patient care needs and communicates appropriate information to physicians, patients, family members, and personnel in other departments as well as team members. May have additional responsibilities as designated by the Nurse Manager of the Operating Room and/or Director of Nursing, which include, but are not limited to, serving on committees, participating in quality improvement audits and projects.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Include the following. Other duties may be assigned:  

1. Assess patients at intervals as stated in policies and procedures.
2. Develop an individualized perioperative plan of care. 
3. Implement the plan of care using the following interventions:  

• Protect patient from injury caused by chemical, electrical, laser, positioning, thermal sources, and extraneous objects. 
• Perform count procedures to protect patient from unintended retained foreign objects.
• Perform interventions necessary to ensure patient’s procedure is performed on the correct site, side, and level.
• Manage patient’s specimen(s) in the appropriate manner.
• Communicate patient’s current status throughout the continuum of care.
• Administer medication(s) appropriately. 
• Perform interventions to maintain patient's wound and tissue perfusion at or above baseline levels.
• Perform interventions to maintain the status of the patient’s genitourinary, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, endocrine, respiratory, cardiovascular, and neurological systems, and fluid, electrolyte, and acid-base balances at or above baseline levels.
• Perform interventions to ensure the patient is at or returned to normothermia at the conclusion of the immediate postoperative period. 
• Perform interventions to protect patient from infection.
• Assess knowledge level of patient or designated support person and provide education regarding the expected psychosocial response, nutritional management, medication management, pain management, wound management, and expected responses to the operative or invasive procedure.
• Actively involve patient or designated support person in decisions affecting his or her perioperative plan of care and the rehabilitation process.
• Protect patient’s rights, dignity, and privacy.
• Provide culturally competent, age-appropriate, ethical care within legal standards of practice.
• Provide consistent and comparable care regardless of the setting.

1. Evaluate the patient’s progress toward attaining outcomes.
2. Transfer care as appropriate. 
3. Delegate tasks as appropriate according to the state Nurse Practice Act and job descriptions. 
4. Document nursing care.
5. Collaborate effectively with other disciplines as appropriate.
6. Participate in quality review and performance improvement projects.
7. Participate in the performance appraisal process.
8. Use problem-solving and conflict resolution skills to foster effective work relationships with team members.
9. Maintain required competencies.
10. Attend required meetings and educational sessions. 
11. Act as a patient advocate and maintain privacy of all appropriate information.

QUALIFICATIONS:

REQUIRED:

• Demonstrates clinical competency, leadership, and teaching capabilities. 
• Physically and emotionally capable of performing responsibilities of position.

Job Behavior: Reflective of Mission Statement:

• Demonstrates ability to work as a team member and to communicate directly and professionally. Is flexible, reliable, productive, patient-oriented, and self-motivated. Demonstrates the knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served. Demonstrates knowledge of the principles of growth and development over the life span. He/she can identify and categorize each patient’s age-specific grouping of needs, such as those for an adult, or geriatric patient. Maintains professional conduct and appearance.

CERTIFICATES/LICENSES/REGISTRATIONS:

• Graduate of an approved school of nursing. 
• Currently licensed in the state.  
• CPR and ACLS required. 
• Two years’ experience required intra-operative setting.  

Reasoning Ability: 

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed written or oral instructions.  
• Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.  

Other skills and abilities: 

General familiarity with medical terminology as it pertains to anatomy and surgical procedures for an operating room.    

Physical Demands: 

• Shall be physically able to stand, walk, and maintain varied body motions and positions for long periods of time.  
• Demonstrates manual dexterity.  
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  
• The employee shall be able to use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects or tools.  
• The employee is required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.  
• Shall be able to hear and speak. S
• hall be able to move up to 100 pounds.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996

Responsible for knowing the processes involved assuring the standards established by HIPAA, and ensuring they are followed including the practices and records relating to the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information.