Perioperative nurses provide care before, during, and after to patients requiring surgery. Nurses who work in the operating room (OR) and the recovery room, also called PACU (Post-Anesthesia Care Unit), are also perioperative nurses. They are all part of the operative team along with surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurse anesthetists.
Perioperative nurses keep the operating room functioning like a smooth-running machine. They are in charge of maintaining safety and cleanliness. Perioperative nurses ensure that patients are adequately prepared, pre-operative medication is given, and paperwork is accurately completed. In addition, perioperative nurses actively help the physician perform the surgery by readying the room before and handing the surgeon tools during the procedure.
The PACU nurses receive the patient after surgery. They closely monitor and give pain medication as needed while anesthesia wears off. They report any significant changes to the physician, and when the patient is ready to be released, they will inform and coordinate instructions with the family.
Perioperative nurses often receive advanced training to improve their skills. Some perioperative nurses specialize and only work with physicians who perform a specific type of surgery, such as plastic surgery, pediatrics, or oncology, or they train to become an RN first assistant (RNFA) to actively participate in the surgeries. Others become advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) either as surgical nurse practitioners or clinical nurse specialists (CNSs).
Scrub nurses
Circulating Nurse
RN first assistant (RNFA)
Recovery room (PACU) nurse
Perioperative nurses work in a variety of settings such as hospital surgical departments, ambulatory surgery centers, and offices that perform procedures on-site.
Perioperative nurses see a variety of surgeries. Sometimes they specialize in one surgical nursing area such as pediatrics, cardiac, orthopedics, or gynecology.
Complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree: takes two-to-four-years based on the program
You can advance your career by getting an MSN or doctoral degree with a surgical care focus. Alternatively, you can become a Surgical Nurse practitioner (SNP) or a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) and earn certification as a Clinical Nurse Specialist Perioperative (CNS-CP).
Perioperative nurses must be BCLS, and often are ACLS/PALS certified. It is highly encouraged that they become CNOR certified after gaining experience.
To gain CNOR certification, perioperative nurses need to be currently employed either part-time or full-time for a minimum of 2 years and have 2,400 hours of experience in perioperative nursing, with a minimum of 1,200 hours in the intraoperative setting.
Perioperative nurses who want to become a Certified Registered Nurse First Assistant (CRNFA) obtain special training then obtain their CNOR. When they pass their CRNFA additional certification, the two are merged. The AORN delineates requirements to obtain training, resources, and requirements.
Perioperative nurses typically make between $65,429 - $97,809, with a median salary of $81,411, according to Salary.com.
The May 2021 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report shows which states have the highest and lowest wages for nurses. They do not list by nurse specialty, but perioperative nurse salaries would likely follow suit. The highest-paid states are California, Hawaii, and Oregon. The lowest-paid states are South Dakota, Alabama, and Mississippi.
