What is an OR nurse?
OR nurse or operating room nurse specializes in a patient’s perioperative care. OR nurse takes care of patients from surgery until they are fully recovered and ready to go home.
Where do they work?
OR nurses can be found in various healthcare settings such as hospitals, cancer centres, and clinics where minor surgeries can be performed.
Educational requirements:
- Nursing degree: they need a nursing degree such as a BSN or ADN
- License: they must be licensed registered nurses.
- Additional perioperative care certification: they need extra certification such as CNOR.
- Staying updated: they must continue their education and stay updated about new surgical techniques and technology.
Qualities of an OR nurse:
- Physical endurance
- Effective communication skills
- Ability to quickly assess situations.
- Expertise in using surgical technologies and techniques.
- Maintaining a sterile environment for the patient.
Advantages (benefits) of being an OR nurse:
Benefits:
There are many perks of becoming an OR nurse and you can enjoy many benefits such as:
- Dental and visionary care insurance
- Healthcare Insurance
- Maternity or paternity leave
- Paid holidays
- Many retirement options
- Childcare
Salary:
The salary of OR nurses varies from place to place, as well as their years of experience. According to BLS, in 2021, the hourly wage of registered nurses is $37.31. but as you gain more experience, your salary increases with time. An OR nurse with less than 1 year of experience can make $29.03 hourly and an OR nurse with 20-plus years of experience can make $40 an hour.
Flexibility:
Flexibility or choosing your hours is another advantage of OR nurses. As the demand for OR nurses is 24/7, they can choose their timings and schedule their appointments. This flexibility allows them to take off when they need a vacation or if there is any family emergency.
Being active:
The job of OR nurses is highly active, and they need to be on their feet for a very long time, which makes them super active, which is very good for human health. It is said that a person should take 10,000 steps a day, and the best way to do so is to be on your feet while working. You can easily achieve this task by being in your job, which is much better than a job requiring you to sit and work on computers.
Professional and skill development:
OR nurses’ job helps them to develop their professional and skill development. OR nurses must continue their education to keep up with the new technology and surgical equipment trends. This development helps them gain more experience, increasing their demand and salary.
Job satisfaction:
An OR nurse’s job is to take care of the patients from surgery to when they get better and leave for home. So, they are with these patients throughout their journey, helping them recover. Seeing their patients walk out of the door healthy gives them job satisfaction, which is crucial for better mental health development.
Development of communication skills and teamwork:
OR nurses work in teams with other healthcare workers, such as surgeons, anesthesiologists, and other nurses, which helps them develop their communication skills. These communication skills can help them operate in a healthcare environment easily.
Disadvantages or cons of being an OR nurse:
High physical demand:
As we have discussed earlier, the job of OR nurses requires high physical demand, which means they have to be very active and on their feet all the time, which is beneficial but also causes burnout. OR nurses stand on their feet for longer periods in operation theatres. This can cause back pain or pain in the thighs and feet. Standing for longer periods can be very tiring.
Dealing with high-stress situations:
The OR nursing jobs are done in high-stress situations, and OR nurses must be mentally and physically ready. They have to be active and use critical thinking in high-stress situations, which is why OR nursing is not everybody’s cup of tea!
Emotional challenge:
Sometimes, OR nurses have to deal with life-threatening situations. They might encounter situations where they have to do urgent surgery for a patient. Sometimes, losing a patient can be emotionally challenging and OR nurses must deal with that.
Exposure to danger:
OR nurses are exposed to infections or diseases all the time. OR nurses have to deal with bodily fluids, blood, and instruments, hence exposing them to different diseases. Their constant exposure to chemicals and radiation also increases their health risks.
Effect on personal health:
OR nurses are sometimes on-call, so they must be ready for emergencies. This results in irregular work hours, which makes them unable to focus on their health.
Conclusion:
OR nurses take care of patients from their surgery until they fully recover, making them the most demanding and important part of the healthcare community. This job comes with many advantages, such as healthcare benefits, high pay, etc., but OR nurses have to face many challenges, too, such as physical and emotional drainage, exposure to risks, and irregular work hours that can affect the health of OR nurses.
