Summary
Responsible for
monitoring the procedures in operating rooms during surgery. During operations
and other surgical procedures, the circulator assists by acting as an
intermediary between the operating room staff and the rest of the hospital.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Performs the surgical preparation on the
patients.
- Checks patient identification and date of birth
by armband and verbally.
- Checks NPO status.
- Verifies procedure.
- Checks for patient allergies.
- Gathers appropriate supplies and equipment.
- Performs the prep in an aseptic technique.
- Performs Time Out.
- Makes an initial assessment of and determines
the nursing needs of the patient assigned to their care.
- Assesses patient’s physical and mental status.
- Reviews patient’s medical and surgical history.
- Explains nursing procedures and actions taken to
help reduce anxiety.
- Notifies surgeon and/or anesthesiologist of any
pertinent physical or emotional findings.
- Checks the patient’s medical record for
completeness.
- Checks that consents are accurate with
signature, date, and time.
- Verifies history & physical within 30 days;
Update completed with signature, date, and time.
- Reviews Hand Off form prior to transporting
patient to OR.
- Documents accurately on OR record and Implant
record.
- Assists surgeon with documentation in Electronic Medical Record.
- Accurately completes Care Plan tailored to meet
the patient’s needs.
- Facilitates a prompt turnover of the operating
room.
- Checks OR board for assignment.
- Assists other staff members with the cleaning of
the operating room.
- Maintains organized work area.
- Uses foresight to prepare for upcoming
assignment.
- Secures appropriate supplies and equipment for
the next assigned case.
- Opens up supplies with surgical tech.
- Ensures safety and comfort of patients.
- Keep side rails up when transporting patient to
and from OR.
- Provides warm blankets.
- Ensures that wheels are locked when transferring
patient to and from stretcher and OR table.
- Safely positions patient on the OR table using
safety strap and positioning aids.
- Applies return electrode to clean, dry, shaven
(if necessary) muscular area and checks and documents condition post-op.
- Knowledgeable in the use and troubleshooting of
equipment.
- Maintains DVT prophylaxis with use of SCDs.
- Accurately observes and monitors the environment
of care closely.
- Aware of potential risks in the environment and
reports to appropriate personnel.
- Communicates equipment malfunctions and reports
to appropriate personnel.
- Performs competently in emergency situations.
- Remains calm in emergency situations.
- Can utilize emergency equipment appropriately.
- Stays up to date on current practices.
- Maintains preference cards and accurately keys
patient charges.
- Reviews charge sheet during cases for supplies
opened.
- Makes necessary changes to preference cards as
needed.
- Charges for appropriate number of items as
needed.
- Verifies that supplies brought in by outside
vendor have been pre-approved.
- Maintains supplies and orders those that are
necessary.
- Takes initiative in preparing for new surgeon.
- Rotates stock and checks for expiration dates.
- Communicates surgeon’s request for a special
supply or instrument.
- Communicates in advance supplies needed for
scheduled cases.
- Participates in hospital wide inventory.
- Self-directed in completing assignments.
- Participates in reprocessing program.
- Assists with orientation of new staff.
- Other duties as assigned.
Charge Nurse Duties
Supervises the
daily operation of the OR by:
- Coordinates staff and/or room assignments of
procedures for the optimal use of equipment, space, and staff.
- Assures that needed equipment and supplies are available
for all procedures.
- Ensures procedures begin in timely manner.
- Communicates with surgeons, anesthesia and,
staff to assure consistent operational flow.
- Coordinates breaks and lunches for all operating
room staff.
- Assists staff to expedite quick turnovers.
- Observes use and handling of supplies to
decrease mishandling and breakage.
Assures all equipment and supplies are put away.
- Supports vender policy and observer policy.
- Keeps Director abreast of all operational and/or
occurrences within the department and participates with problem solving.
- Assists with orientation and performance
evaluations of staff.
Core Competencies
Action
Orientation - Targets and achieves results, overcomes obstacles, accepts
responsibility, establishes standards and responsibilities, creates a
results-oriented environment, and follows through on actions.
Communications
- Communicates well both verbally and in writing. Effectively conveys and
shares information and ideas with others. Listens carefully and understands
various viewpoints. Presents ideas clearly and concisely and understands
relevant detail in presented information.
Creativity/Innovation
- Generates novel ideas and develops or improves existing and new systems that
challenge the status quo, takes risks, and encourages innovation.
Critical
Judgment - Possesses the ability to define issues and focus on achieving
workable solutions. Consistently does the right thing by performing with
reliability.
Customer
Orientation - Listens to customers, builds customer confidence, increases
customer satisfaction, ensures commitments are met, sets appropriate customer
expectations, and responds to customer needs.
Interpersonal
Skills - Effectively and productively engages with others and establishes
trust, credibility, and confidence with others.
Leadership
- Motivates, empowers, inspires, collaborates with, and encourages others.
Builds consensus when appropriate. Focuses team members on common goals.
Teamwork
- Knows when and how to attract, develop, reward, and utilize teams to optimize
results. Acts to build trust, inspire enthusiasm, encourage others, and help
resolve conflicts and develop consensus in creating high-performance teams.
Professional Requirements
- Meets dress code standards and adheres to
policy on “Attire in the Operating Room”.
- Completes annual education requirements.
- Maintains regulatory requirements.
- Maintains patient confidentiality at all times.
- Reports to work on time and as scheduled,
completes work within designated time.
- Wears identification while on duty, uses
computerized punch time system correctly.
- Completes in-services and returns in a timely
fashion.
- Attends annual review and department in-services,
as scheduled.
- Attends monthly staff meetings or reads staff
meeting minutes.
- Represents the organization in a positive and
professional manner.
- Actively participates in performance
improvement and continuous quality improvement (CQI) activities.
- Complies with all organizational policies
regarding ethical business practices.
- Communicates the mission, ethics and goals of
the hospital, as well as the focus statement of the department.
- Promotes professional growth of subordinates by
sharing knowledge and/or directing them to sources if information appropriate
to given situation. Utilizes journals, books, etc. to learn and/or improve new
techniques and equipment.
- Assists other staff members in performing any
duty that enhances the delivery of patient care.
Advanced Orthopedic and Spine
Certification Requirements
(CR.1c) As part
of the Advanced Orthopedic and Spine Certification, at a minimum, the Program
direct-care staff, must have eight (8) hours of education specific to the
Program scope, initially, and at least annually thereafter.
(CR.1e) As part
of the Advanced Orthopedic and Spine Certification, staff possess adaptability
to processes as related to up-to-date best practices, collaboration between
departments, compliance with protocols/processes, communication, cooperation
and exceptional customer service.
Within 90 days
of hire or, if currently employed, within 90 days of signing the job
description, must adhere to:
- Orientation of Advanced Orthopedic and Spine
Certification
- In compliance with the Program education
requirements
- Completed department specific competencies
Regulatory Requirements
- Graduate of an accredited school of nursing.
- Current state Registered Nurse licensure in
state of Louisiana.
Current BLS certification
Skills
- Ability to communicate effectively in English,
both verbally and in writing.
- Basic
computer knowledge.
Physical Demands
The physical
demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an
employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While
performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk
and hear. This position is very active and requires repetitive motions, standing,
walking, bending, kneeling and stooping all day. The employee must frequently
lift or move items weighing up to 100
pounds.
