surgical nurse.

Some of the duties and tasks of surgical nurses include:

• providing surgical nursing care to patients: as a surgical nurse, you ensure the operating room is ready for the patient. You also answer any questions to ease the patient’s anxiety and ensure the proper documents are signed before the surgery commences.
• monitoring patients during surgery: as a surgical nurse, you assist the anaesthesiologist with monitoring the patient's reactions to anaesthesia. You also keep an eye on the vital signs throughout the surgery. You inform the surgeon of any spikes in blood pressure or temperature to prevent surgical complications.
• recording surgical events: as a surgical nurse, you are expected to write reports of the surgical procedures. You pay attention to every detail of the procedure to create an accurate report on the events of the surgery. If the surgical team is recording the procedure, you ensure the video recording equipment functions properly before the surgery commences.
• assisting surgeons: as a surgical nurse, you assist the surgeons with various tasks, such as managing bleeding or cutting and removing human tissue. You also help them locate necessary anatomy.
• preparing post-surgery care plans: as a surgical nurse, you ensure patients receive the best post-surgery care to avoid complications. You assist the nursing care staff with patient care plans and check for complications. Your job is to ensure the nursing care team follows the pain management and wound plan to avoid infections. You handle any minor complications that occur after surgery.

Surgical nurses work in hospitals and healthcare facilities that perform surgical procedures on patients. In hospitals, you work in medical-surgical care units, recovery rooms and operating rooms. You may also work in emergency departments and urgent care centres to assist surgeons in performing life-saving procedures. Aside from clinics, surgical nurses also work alongside other healthcare staff in hospitals located in mining, construction and manufacturing communities. You spend most of your day in sterilised environments, and during operations, you use medical protective equipment.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include surgeons, doctors and paediatricians. You might also be working in close proximity to general nurses and paediatric nurses, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, pharmacy assistants, radiographers and pharmacists.

The typical work schedule of a surgical nurse is over 38 hours a week. In a full-time position, you work shift schedules of eight to twelve hours. The shifts can be early morning, during the day or night shifts. In emergency situations, you are likely to work additional hours to assist in emergency surgical procedures and take care of patients post-surgery. As a surgical nurse, you are always on call, which means you work weekends and during holidays.

Surgical nurses have a promising career path, with a projected job growth rate of 13.9% in the next five years. Aside from a high demand for theatre nurses, you also have various career opportunities for growth. Some surgical nurses become anaesthesiologists or critical care nurses if they have the right resuscitation training.

Finding your surgical nurse job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
 

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a surgical nurse is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Thousands of people earn a permanent contract every year with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

As a surgical nurse, you work closely with surgeons to provide nursing care during surgeries. You educate patients on the surgical procedures and assess patients to ensure their medical history is taken into consideration by the surgical team. Aside from preparing patients for surgery, you assist in the operation rooms. You ensure the surgeon has the necessary equipment and monitor vital signs.

As a scrub nurse, you are the surgical nurse responsible for instruments. You are a member of the sterile team that ensures the surgeon has the equipment they need. You scrub into the operating room and hand the surgeon the instruments they need for their procedure. After surgery, you sterilise the equipment and clean the operating rooms.

As a surgical nurse, you earn an average remuneration package of $85,000 per year. When you are in an entry-level position, you start with a salary of $79,000 per year. With experience and educational qualifications, you are likely to earn over $121,000 annually.

To become a surgical nurse, complete a bachelor of nursing and register with the NMBA to qualify as a registered nurse. After one year of experience, you can pursue a postgraduate qualification, like a graduate certificate in clinical nursing (surgical).

Working as a surgical nurse is a great career with promising job opportunities. You enjoy a generous remuneration package, which increases with experience and qualifications.

Applying for an surgical nurse job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.