Operating Room Registered Nurse

Main Function:  Supervises and directs patient care in a single operating room.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Philosophy

• Supports the facility’s ideology, mission, goals, and objectives
• Performs in accordance with the facility’s policies and procedures
• Follows the facility’s standards for ethical business conduct
• Recognizes patients’ rights and responsibilities and supports them in performance of job duties
• Participates in facility committees, meetings, in-services, and activities
• Seeks out additional assignments and duties

2. Work Quality  

• Performs duties in an accurate and organized manner
• Adheres to policies and procedures in performance of duties
• Ensures knowledge of job and asks questions when unsure
• Completes duties within appropriate timeframes
• Performs according to established quality improvement policies and procedures. Makes suggestions to identify opportunities to improve quality of care.
• Participates in data collection activities to support the quality improvement program

3. Personal Attributes

• Shows initiative and dependability including punctuality and attendance
• Displays good judgment
• Cooperates and is flexible
• Follows appropriate dress code presenting a professional image

4. Customer Service 

• Fosters a culture of outstanding patient service showing courtesy in interactions with patients, physicians and co-workers
• Presents good telephone skills
• Responds promptly to patient needs and co-worker requests

5.Communication and Team Work

• Expected to be a positive and responsible team member with a good attitude
• Presents good oral and written communication (documentation) skills
• Promotes effective communication among the facility’s clinical areas, business office, and physician practices

6. Professional Competence

• Participates in continuing education and other learning experiences
• Shares knowledge gained in continuing education with staff
• Maintains membership in relevant professional organizations
• Seeks/accepts new challenging opportunities and responsibilities in a positive manner
• Assists with orientation and training of new personnel and acts as a resource person for problems related to patient care
• Welcomes suggestions and recommendations
• Seeks professional certifications such as CNOR, ONC, RNFA, CAPA, or PAN

7. Safety/Risk Management

• Adheres to safety policies and procedures in performing job duties and responsibilities
• Reports observed or suspected safety violations, hazards, and policy/procedure noncompliance to the Clinical Manager
• Performs according to established compliance policies and procedures

8. Duties

• Participates as a team member in support of the total peri-operative process
• Organizes time, equipment, supplies, and personnel to provide effective and efficient case management
• Supervises and directs patient care in a single operating room
• Organizes nursing activities efficiently and effectively
• Delegates activities appropriate to the abilities of available staff members
• Considers cost containment by using supplies economically and in effective turnover time
• Assists with supply, drug, and equipment inventories to maintain stock level and availability
• Addresses patient needs during admission to the operating room, with attention to requirements specific to the outpatient setting
• Transports patients to the operating room observing policies/procedures, safety requirements, and patient needs
• Identifies the patient and correct surgical intervention according to policy/procedure and communicates such information to all members of the surgical team. Completes “Time Out” per policy and procedures.
• Reviews patients’ medical records/needs to plan care with other healthcare team members
• Provides comfort and reassurance to patient
• Maintains patients’ privacy and dignity
• Explains intra-operative phase of routine procedures and care to the patient
• Performs the circulating nurse’s role and functions following approved operating room procedures to meet the requirements of scheduled procedures
• Prepares operating room according to requirements of patient/procedure to be performed
• Assembles and provides properly functioning equipment, supplies, and instruments before start of procedure and positions and adjusts equipment as required during the procedure
• Anticipates needs of surgical team and assists anesthesia personnel by supporting patient during administration of anesthesia
• Assist with the proper and safe positioning of the patient and prepares operative site as directed by established procedures
• Monitors compliance with principles of aseptic technique according to accepted standards
• Provides continuity of patient care by communicating with other peri-operative care personnel and documenting records accordingly
• Responds in a timely manner to meet the needs of the patient and physician
• Accurately comprehends and interprets verbal orders/directions. Makes decisions and solves problems.
• Documents patient care records and other forms accurately following policies and procedures
• Accurately advises others responsible for care of the patient about patient’s status
• Other duties as assigned
• Compliance with HIPAA, OSHA and the Red Flags Rules

Qualifications

• Cooperative work attitude toward co-employees, management, patients, visitors, and physicians
• Ability to promote favorable facility image with physicians, patients, insurance companies, and general public
• Ability to make decisions and solve problems in a timely manner.

Reports to OR Manager

Contacts

1. Patients

2. Patients’ family/significant others

3. Physicians and physician office personnel

4. Facility personnel

5. Vendors

6. Administration

7. Medical director

8. Governing body

• High school graduate or GED certificate recipient
• Graduate of accredited school of nursing
• RN with active license in Louisiana
• BLS/ACLS certification or ACLS within 6 months of hire
• Leadership qualities
• Strong ethical and moral character references
• Language skills adequate for high-level written, interpersonal, and telephone communication in American English
• Preferred
• CNOR certification
• PALS Certification
• ASC experience with minimum 2 years recent experience as a circulating nurse
• Computer literacy

Dependability 

• Attendance
• Punctuality
• Ability to follow instructions
• Ability to meet deadlines

Physical/Mental Requirements

• Ability to sit/stand for long periods; ability to walk
• Visual and auditory acuity for frequent use of computer, telephone, and occasional use of other office equipment
• Capability for occasional overhead and low reaching
• Physical strength for equipment needs and patient-care activities
• Visual and auditory acuity for timely response and patient-care assessment activities
• Ability to move quickly in response to patient needs
• Ability to make constant/frequent judgments/respond to problems
• Ability to occasionally respond to disasters/emergencies, actual events, or drills

Working Conditions (Environmental) 

• Well lit and ventilated, with non-hazardous equipment
• Category I: involves occupational exposure to blood and other potentially infectious body fluids and materials