OR Nurse: Operating Room & Perioperative Nursing

Operating Room (OR) Nurses, also called Perioperative Nurses, specialize in surgical patient care before, during, and after surgical procedures. Working in one of the most controlled, sterile, and technical environments in healthcare, OR nurses combine advanced knowledge of surgical procedures with meticulous attention to detail and teamwork.

What OR Nurses Do

OR nurses fill two primary roles: Scrub Nurse (sterile role, passing instruments to surgeon) and Circulating Nurse (non-sterile role, managing room, documentation, patient advocacy). They prepare operating rooms, ensure sterility, assist surgeons during procedures, monitor patient vital signs, manage surgical equipment, and coordinate the surgical team. OR nurses must know hundreds of procedures across specialties from orthopedics to neurosurgery.

Salary & Compensation

Average Salary: $80,000 - $110,000 annually
Entry-Level: $70,000 - $80,000
Experienced OR RN: $90,000 - $120,000
On-Call Premium: $3-8/hour extra for call shifts

OR nurses often earn more than floor nurses due to technical expertise required. Call pay (on-call for emergencies) significantly boosts income. Specialty surgical nurses (cardiac, neuro, transplant) command premium salaries.

Work Environment

Settings: Hospital ORs, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient surgical clinics, specialty surgical centers (cardiac, orthopedic, ophthalmology)

Schedule: Varies widely - can be scheduled cases (Monday-Friday, 7am-5pm) or 24/7 coverage with on-call rotation. Call requirements are common (1-2 nights/week plus weekends)

Team Structure: OR nurses work closely with surgeons, anesthesia providers, surgical techs, and sterile processing

Requirements & Skills

Certifications: BLS required, ACLS often required, CNOR (Certified Nurse Operating Room) after 2+ years

Key Skills: Sterile technique, surgical instrument knowledge, multitasking, crisis management, anatomical knowledge across specialties, ability to anticipate surgeon needs

Learning Curve: Steep - takes 6-12 months to feel competent, years to master multiple specialties

Career Path

OR nurses can specialize in specific surgical types (cardiac, neuro, orthopedic), advance to OR Charge Nurse, become OR Educator, transition to RNFA (RN First Assistant - advanced surgical role), or pursue Surgical Nurse Practitioner.

Pros & Cons

Pros: Highly technical and specialized, no bedside care/patient feeding, clean environment, strong teamwork, respect from surgeons, good pay, procedural focus

Cons: On-call disrupts work-life balance, long surgeries require standing for hours, surgeons can be demanding/difficult, less patient interaction, steep learning curve

OR nursing attracts detail-oriented, technically-minded nurses who prefer procedural work over traditional bedside nursing.