|
Surgical Nurse: A Specialization that’s Great for your Career
A career in nursing can give you many options to express your talents. This is because, nursing is a diverse field and there are many opportunities which can be yours to utilize if you have what it takes. Nursing need not be only about tending to patients. You can also do specialized nursing jobs pertaining to a specific area of healthcare. For example, you can become a surgical nurse if you want to work with doctors while they perform surgeries. Surgeries are perhaps the most complicated of all medical procedures and so, being a part of the surgical team can be challenging and satisfying at the same time.
So, how can you become a surgical nurse? Well, you can take these steps:
- Become a registered nurse by earning a four-year bachelors degree or a two-year associates degree in nursing and then passing the licensing exam.
- Obtain a voluntary certification in surgical nursing. This will give you a competitive edge over other aspirants. To get this certification you need to have some work experience and also clear the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses exam.
- Alternatively, you can also go for a master’s degree in nursing, with surgical nursing as your chosen specialization.
Once you become a surgical nurse, you can expect a variety of duties and responsibilities pertaining to surgeries at the place where you work. You will be expected to provide care to patients, before and after a surgery. Also, during the surgery, you will ensure that the patient is stable and assist the doctors performing the surgery in whatever way required. So, your basic duties will include:
- Preparing the patients for surgery, physically as well as emotionally.
- Taking the vital signs, giving pre-operative medication and helping the patients understand how the surgery will benefit them.
- Checking the vital signs during the surgery and ensuring that the condition of the patient is not worsening. The doctors are usually too engrossed in the actual surgery to see this, and so the onus will be on you to ensure that the patient is okay.
- Ensuring that the operating rooms are ready for surgery and the necessary equipments and tools are in place.
- Taking care of patients after surgery is over. This includes, regular changing of bandages, checking vital signs and keeping an eye out for signs of recovery or development of complications.
And is this hectic job of a surgical nurse well paying? You’ll be happy to know that it is. The median salary of a surgical nurse according to 2009 surveys, stands at $72783 per annum. How much you get will of course ultimately depend on where you work and your actual experience, but be assured that you will never feel underpaid.
More importantly you can expect a boom in job opportunities as a surgical nurse. This is because, projections point at more than 550000 jobs in the nursing sector by 2016! Surely you can cash in on the demand and make a successful career as a surgical nurse.
Note: A surgical nurse differs from a surgical tech career.
|
 |
|
|
|
