[hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”aboveTheFold” /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Operating Room Nurse Career in Brief[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurses play an important role in all aspects of surgeries, from preparation to patient recovery. They work under physicians and surgeons and may supervise nursing assistants or surgical technologists. As part of a surgical team, they must be good communicators and able to respond calmly to unexpected or high-stress situations.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurse jobs include these key skills and responsibilities:[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-dynamic-experience placement=”belowTheFold” /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Where Do Operating Room Nurses Work?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Most OR nurse jobs take place in inpatient and outpatient settings at hospitals, surgical centers, or physician practices.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Hospitals[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurses ensure the operating room is sterile and equipped, assist during the procedure, and monitor patients during recovery.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Surgical Centers[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Perioperative nurses educate patients on the procedure and postsurgery treatment, assist during operations, and make certain patients are safely discharged.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Physician Practices[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurses sterilize room and medical equipment, assist during the procedure, and follow up with patients after release.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]What Are the Different Types of Perioperative Nursing Roles?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR and [hen-ui-link href=”/careers/surgical-nurse/how-to-become/”]surgical nurses[/hen-ui-link] both fall under the specialty area of perioperative nursing. Included under this specialty are three distinct roles.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Scrub Nurse[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]A scrub nurse prepares the operating room and equipment, assists surgeon(s) during the procedure, and prepares patients for the recovery room.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Circulating Nurse[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]A circulating nurse confirms equipment and room sterility, advocates for patients as needed during surgery, and alerts the surgical team to any issues or problems.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]RN First Assistant (RNFA)[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The RFNA controls bleeding during surgery, sutures incisions and wounds, and assists in stabilizing patients when necessary.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]How to Become an Operating Room Nurse[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-article-card title=”Learn More About How to Become an Surgical Nurse” href=”/careers/surgical-nurse/how-to-become/” size=”compact” border=”stroke”][/hen-ui-article-card][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]How Much Do Operating Room Nurses Make?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]The [hen-ui-link href=”/careers/or-nurse/”]average annual salary[/hen-ui-link] for OR nurses is $76,220, according to PayScale. In 2019, the highest paid 10% of RNs earned more than $111,200. Urban areas pay OR nurses [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aorn.org/about-aorn/aorn-newsroom/periop-today-newsletter/2020/2020-articles/salary-survey” target=”_blank”]higher salaries[/hen-ui-link], with [hen-ui-link href=”https://aornjournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aorn.12862″ target=”_blank”]academic medical centers[/hen-ui-link] paying more than community hospitals.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]Jobs for RNs in general are projected to grow faster than average, increasing 7% between 2019 and 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Learn more about [hen-ui-link href=”/careers/surgical-nurse/”]surgical nurse salaries[/hen-ui-link].[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-article-card title=”Find State-Specific Salary Data Here” href=”/registered-nursing/” size=”compact” border=”stroke”][/hen-ui-article-card][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Frequently Asked Questions[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What career advancement opportunities are available for OR nurses?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurses can seek RNFA certification or become [hen-ui-link href=”/nurse-practitioner/”]nurse practitioners[/hen-ui-link] through an advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) and a certification exam. RNFA certification requires prior CNOR certification.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Are OR nurses in demand?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurses, like all RNs, are in considerable demand. During 2020, many hospitals and surgical centers had to [hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aorn.org/about-aorn/aorn-newsroom/periop-today-newsletter/2020/2020-articles/salary-survey” target=”_blank”]cancel or postpone[/hen-ui-link] surgeries due to a shortage of OR nurses.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]At what types of locations do OR nurses work?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurses work in a variety of settings such as hospitals, surgical centers, clinics, physicians’ offices, and any healthcare setting where operations take place. However, most work in hospitals, surgical centers, and physicians’ offices.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]What are some common surgeries OR nurses may assist with?[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″]OR nurses assist with common surgeries, such as cataract removal, C-sections, joint replacements, bone repair, cardiac surgery, and stent placements. Some, such as cataract removal, rarely require general anesthesia and conclude quickly, while others demand more time.[/hen-ui-text][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Resources for Operating Room Nurses[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-list variant=”unordered” bullet-style=”check”] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aorn.org/” target=”_blank”] Association of periOperative Registered Nurses[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-heading] AORN provides OR nurses with clinical guidelines, publications, continuing professional education, leadership courses, and scholarship and grant opportunities. It has approximately 43,000 members, with membership open to OR nurses and other industry professionals.[/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aorn.org/career-center” target=”_blank”] AORN Career Center[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-heading] The AORN Career Center lists OR nurse jobs, primarily in the United States. Anybody can use the site to look for jobs, post their resume, and set up career alerts, but only AORN members can use the customizable salary calculator.[/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.aspan.org/” target=”_blank”] American Society of PeriAnesthesia Nurses[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-heading] ASPAN serves approximately 60,000 members in the fields of ambulatory surgery, pain management, and preanesthesia and postanesthesia care. It offers professional education; publishes research, standards, and clinical practice resources; and engages in advocacy. OR nurses can enroll as full members, and other healthcare professionals can enroll as associate members.[/hen-ui-list-item] [hen-ui-list-item][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″][hen-ui-link href=”https://www.apsna.org/” target=”_blank”] American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association[/hen-ui-link][/hen-ui-heading] APSNA describes itself as influencing pediatric surgical nursing by creating opportunities for collaboration, mentorship, and leadership. For example, APSNA provides ongoing education, offers publications, and hosts an annual conference. RNs and advanced practice nurses can join as active members, while other healthcare professionals can join as affiliate members.[/hen-ui-list-item][/hen-ui-list][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h2″]Related Pages[/hen-ui-heading] [hen-ui-article-row variant=”slider” ids=”34407,34440,33933,33995″][/hen-ui-article-row][hen-ui-separator /][hen-ui-heading variant=”h3″]Reviewed by:[/hen-ui-heading][hen-ui-flex direction=”column” gap=”lg”][hen-ui-expert-bio name=”Nicole Galan, RN, MSN” img-src=”https://res.cloudinary.com/highereducation/image/upload/c_fill,g_face,h_200,w_200/c_scale,w_200/e_grayscale/v1599580499/experts/Nicole_Galan.jpg” img-alt=”Nicole Galan, RN, MSN” layout=”horizontal” background=”white” /][hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight”]Nicole Galan is a registered nurse who earned a master’s degree in nursing education from Capella University and currently works as a full-time freelance writer. Throughout her nursing career, Galan worked in a general medical/surgical care unit and then in infertility care. She has also worked for over 13 years as a freelance writer specializing in consumer health sites and educational materials for nursing students.[/hen-ui-text] [hen-ui-text variant=”b4″ slot=”contentRight”]Galan is a paid member of our Healthcare Review Partner Network. [hen-ui-link href=”/healthcare-review-partners//”]Learn more about our review partners[/hen-ui-link].[/hen-ui-text][/hen-ui-flex]