Operating Room Registered Nurse

Surgery Partners•Altoona, WI

About The Position

The Operating Room RN manages nursing care within the operating room, observes the surgical team from a broad perspective, and helps create and maintain a safe, comfortable environment for surgery. The circulating nurse promotes coordinated teamwork and uses critical thinking, assessment, diagnosis, outcome identification, planning, and evaluation to direct nursing care and coordinate surgical-team activities for the patient’s benefit. This role is scheduled for 0.8 FTE, 32 hours per week, in 8-hour shifts. The nurse participates in the department’s on-call rotation and may be cross-trained and assigned to other nursing departments within the hospital. The position includes operating a retinal laser under physician direction and maintaining annual competency through required training.

Requirements

Eligibility for employment in the United States.
Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from an accredited nursing program.
Current RN licensure in the State of Wisconsin.
BLS certification upon hire.
Obtain ACLS and PALS certification within six months of hire.
Possess a cell phone that interfaces with the organization’s secure messaging system.
Knowledge of medical terminology, Electronic Medical Records (EMR) systems, and quality assurance and accreditation standards.
Understanding of HIPAA regulations, patient confidentiality laws, and patient rights.
Effective verbal and written English communication.
Attention to detail and accuracy, basic computer proficiency, and ability to meet customer service standards.
Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team, prioritize work by urgency and importance, and continue learning about job-specific trends, policies, and technologies.
Ability to demonstrate organization-wide performance review competencies.

Nice To Haves

Previous operating room experience.

Responsibilities

Advocate for patients’ rights, preferences, needs, safety, and well-being, and provide compassionate, individualized care.
Maintain professional demeanor and appearance and protect patient, coworker, and organizational confidentiality.
Assess patient health problems and needs and develop, implement, and evaluate care in collaboration with the healthcare team.
Provide direct patient care, including administering and documenting prescribed medications and treatments.
Educate patients and families about health conditions, medications, treatment, and post-surgical care.
Operate and monitor medical equipment relevant to patient care.
Follow infection-control protocols, safety standards, and strict asepsis practices.
Record patient care promptly, concisely, accurately, and completely.
Respond to emergencies using appropriate interventions and promptly report and document unusual events, safety concerns, and incidents.
Prepare the operating room for procedures.
Perform and document point-of-care testing according to established protocols, ensuring accuracy, quality-control compliance, and timely communication of results.
Initiate the pre-procedural Universal Protocol Time Out and perform surgical-site identification and a surgical time-out for every patient.
Assist with patient positioning and protect the patient’s comfort and safety.
Check and monitor surgical equipment, remove malfunctioning equipment from service, and report malfunctions.
Operate the retinal laser under physician direction, follow safety protocols, and maintain annual competency through required training.
Ensure accurate care and handling of specimens and inventory all items used in surgery.
Provide hand-off communication to PACU RNs.
Participate in the department’s on-call rotation and respond promptly to call-ins.
Use the organization’s secure messaging platform according to departmental protocols, including timely receipt and response to communications.
When cross-trained or assigned to another nursing department, carry out the essential functions of that assigned role.
Perform other duties as assigned.