Registered Nurse Operating Room

Mount Nittany Health•State College, PA

About The Position

The Registered Nurse Operating Room provides professional perioperative nursing care using current nursing knowledge and Association of Operating Room Nurses (AORN) standards and recommended practices. The role uses the nursing process to assess patients and relevant health information, analyze findings, plan and implement care, and evaluate outcomes for patients from pediatric through geriatric age groups. The nurse works with patients in the holding area, operating suite, and post-operative setting; supports patient safety and customer service; maintains a sterile field; and ensures supplies and equipment are available and functional. The position also includes patient and family education, documentation, and maintaining current perioperative knowledge and competency. Mount Nittany Health provides an in-house six-month Operating Room course, which must begin upon hire or transfer into the Operating Room.

Requirements

Completion of an accredited registered nurse program.
Licensed as a Registered Nurse in the State of Pennsylvania.
Meet American Heart Association standards for Healthcare Provider Basic Life Support (BLS) and renew BLS every two years.
After four months from the hire or transfer date, meet American Heart Association standards for Healthcare Provider Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and renew ACLS every two years.
Effectively function as a team member and liaison between patients and staff.
Demonstrate strong verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills and communicate professionally.
Demonstrate tact, sensitivity, sound judgment, a professional attitude, and mental and emotional tolerance when interacting with patients, families, providers, and co-workers.
Accept responsibility and accountability for maintaining perioperative nursing knowledge, skills, and competency.
Begin the in-house Operating Room course upon hire or transfer into the Operating Room.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).
Previous registered nurse experience.
Charge-qualified experience or status.
Prior Operating Room experience.
Relevant certification upon hire.

Responsibilities

Assess each patient's physical and psychological status before surgical intervention, including identification, planned surgery, allergies, relevant health data, and conditions that could affect the patient's response to surgery.
Develop and continually update an individualized plan of care for patients in the holding area, operating suite, and post-operative setting.
Promote excellent customer service in accordance with Mount Nittany Medical Center standards of service excellence.
Ensure surgical supplies and equipment are available and functional.
Create and maintain a sterile field throughout procedures using principles of asepsis.
Apply perioperative nursing practices, including aseptic and surgical technique, electrical, chemical and laser safety, positioning, and patient care management.
Recognize changes in patient health status and direct appropriate care to support patient safety.
Manage surgical specimens, cultures, and foreign bodies appropriately.
Document individualized changes to the plan of care and patient interactions.
Provide patients and families with preoperative information about surgical nursing functions and physical aspects of the operating room.
Maintain perioperative nursing knowledge, skills, and competency, including awareness of professional issues and current concepts, trends, scientific advances, biomedical equipment, and ethics.
Perform other duties as assigned to assist with daily operations of surgical services and sterile processing.