A surgical nurse is a health professional who has specialized in perioperative care. Therefore, surgical nurse takes care of the surgical patient before, during and after the surgical operation. Surgical nurse organizes the operation room and later helps the surgeon in equipments handling during surgery. Becoming a surgical nurse is a lengthy process. The individual has to pass basic education before admission in a medical institution for Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. After admission, a BSN student undergoes challenging studies on perioperative care procedures and ethics. After graduation, BSN nurses must obtain the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) license to be eligible to work as a surgeon’s assistant (Chitty& Black 15).
To become a surgical nurse, one should pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. The program provides students with theoretical and practical training on surgical care procedures. Furthermore, BSN acts as a foundation for further studies in masters and PhD programs. In general, BSN coursework concentrates in biological sciences, behavioral studies, nursing care, ethics and leadership among other topics. In addition, BSN course exposes students to research, analysis and data presentation techniques. BSN nurses heavily use research skills in evidence-based nursing ethics and practices. Admission to BSN course in American universities is extremely competitive. However, one can enroll for BSN in American university through either of the following options (Spencer 310).
Applicants can enroll for the RN-BSN program to become surgical nurses. To register for this program, the student should provide evidence of high academic records. For instance, the applicants must have graduated with an associate degree or diploma in nursing. Besides, they should have successfully completed and passed the NCLEX-RN examination. The applicants should also provide evidence that they hold an unrestricted license that allow them to operate as registered nurses. A score of at least “C” in the 19 prerequisite clinical courses is mandatory for RN-BSN admission. A minimum grade of C in sciences and mathematics courses is mandatory for the applicants to be approved for RN-BSN program. Finally, the interested applicants who meet the above requirements must submit fully filled application forms to their universities for admission (Meleis 26).
Medical degree holders without nursing experience can acquire BSN degree through accelerated BSN degree (ABSN) program. ABSN students undergo an average of a 14-month training periods that make them eligible for ABSN operating license. Nearly all universities and medical schools offering ABSN have intakes in January and may annually. Medical department has a syllabus tailored for this group of students. The course content provides students with surgical procedures and patient care skills (Spencer 312). Medical ethics and regulations states that all BSN surgical nurses must be registered to be eligible to work in surgical theatres. After graduation from BSN course, the nurse applies for admission in the state board of nursing. The board evaluate whether SBN graduates have the basic requirements to qualify for licensing. If qualified, the RN-BSN nurses register NCLEX examination. This examination is a comprehensive computer-oriented test that evaluates the RN’s knowledge on physiological and physical care. Besides, the test examines safety and general health knowledge and skills. After acquiring NCLEX licensure, BSN-RN nurses are eligible to work in any surgical institution as surgeon assistants and patient caretakers (Meleis 38).
BSN graduate nurses working in surgical operation provide perioperative services to the patient. Furthermore, they provide care to the patient before, during, and after the operation (Selvaggi & Monstrey 306). For instance, the nurse welcomes the patient to the operating room and prepares them psychologically and mentally for operation. Afterwards, the nurse informs the patient the nature of operation they are about to undergo. In addition, the nurse explains the patients what to expect during and after the operation. The nurse also notifies the patient the importance of the forthcoming operation to their health. RN code of ethics and conduct require nurses to be friendly when handling surgical patients to enable them relax. Research avows relaxed surgical patients respond well to the surgical operation than patients who panic before a surgical operation (Martin 43).
In addition, surgical nurses are the chief surgeon assistant during surgery. The nurse provides surgeons with any equipment that they require during the operation. The nurse organizes the toolbox and arranges the equipments in a manner that they are easy to access. In addition, the nurse provides suction system in case of the need to drain blood or fluids from the patient’s body. During the operation, there are several surgical nurses inside the operating room. Some of these nurses patrol the room to ensure that everyone is in the expected position. Other nurses ensure that surgical resources are nurses replenish surgical resources like water, blood, and medicines among others during surgery (Selvaggi & Monstrey 307).
Surgical nurse also acts as the patient caretaker during the operation. The nurse keeps track of the patient’s behavior and signs during the surgery. After the operation, surgical nurse provides post-surgery care to the patients. This care involves washing the bandages, moving the patient and administering medication according to prescription. The nurse also counsels the patience on how to facilitate recovery. In addition, the nurse informs the patient which lifestyle practices can prevent recurrence of the disease in the future. In summary, the main duties of surgical nurses are pre-operation, on-operation, and post-operation patient care (Martin 58).
Surgical nurses receives high pay scale making it one of the most lucrative specialization in medicine (Meleis 135). Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) surveys surgical nurse’s salaries in US. According to the AORN 2011report, surgical nurses in charge of a maximum of ten operating rooms earn an average salary of $64,900 annually. Nurses managing over ten operating rooms earn an average of $73,400 to $77,700 depending on the number of rooms. AORN articulated that surgical nurse tutors in medical schools earned between $77,400 and $79,100 annually. Experienced surgical nurses working as team leaders and manager like cheap nurse earn an average salary ranging from $95,200 and $127,800. These lucrative salaries attract many young learners to BSN surgical nursing courses. Consequently, both national and international nursing courses are highly competitive (Chitty & Black 28).
In conclusion, one must pursue a BSN degree program in a certified medical institution to become a surgical nurse. After graduation, surgical nurses must obtain NCLEX licensure to become eligible to work as surgeon assistant in medical institutions. Patient care, operating room preparation and assisting surgeon during operation are the main duties of the surgical nurse. Surgical nurses should handle surgical patients politely since this prevents panic hence improving surgical response. Surgical nurses earn lucrative salaries hence admission for BSN degree courses are highly competitive.
Works Cited
Chitty, Kay Kittrell, and Beth Perry Black. Professional nursing: concepts & challenges. 6th ed. Maryland Heights, Mo.: Saunders/Elsevier, 2011. Print.
Martin, Shirley. Minor Surgical Procedures for Nurses and Allied Healthcare Professional. London: Dunedin Academic Press, 2007. Print.
Meleis, Afaf Ibrahim. Transitions theory: middle-range and situation-specific theories in nursing research and practice. New York: Springer Pub. Co., 2010. Print.
Selvaggi, Gennaro, and Stan Monstrey. “Evaluation Of Surgical Procedures For Sex Reassignment: A Systematic Review.” Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery 62.3 (2009): 306-307. Print.
Spencer, Janine. “Increasing RN-BSN Enrollments: Facilitating Articulation Through Curriculum Reform.” The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing 39.7 (2008): 307-313. Print.