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If you're looking for a meaningful and well-paying occupation, consider a career as a Perioperative Nurse (also known as an Operating Room or OR nurse). Health care professionals will be in greater demand than ever in the 21st century, and a career in nursing offers you the opportunity to acquire professional, technical, and practical skills, as well as problem-solving skills and the personal fulfillment you may be seeking.

What does a Perioperative Nurse do?
Perioperative nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) who work in hospital surgical departments, day-surgery units (also called ambulatory surgery units), clinics, and physicians' offices. They are relied upon for their professional judgment and critical thinking skills. Perioperative nurses may work closely with the surgical patient, family members, and other health care professionals. They help plan, implement, and evaluate treatment of the patient. In the operating room, there are several roles a perioperative nurse may play, including:

• Scrub nurse - selecting and handling instruments and supplies used for the operation.
• Circulating nurse - managing the overall nursing care in the operating room and helping to maintain a safe, comfortable environment.
• RN first assistant - delivering direct surgical care by assisting the surgeon in controlling bleeding, providing wound exposure, and suturing during the actual procedure.

Perioperative nurses also may work as an OR director, managing budgets, staffing, and other business aspects of the operating room. Some perioperative nurses may later consider a career in business as a management consultant, clinical educator, researcher, or medical sales professional. With advanced education and training, some perioperative nurses elect to pursue the role of a nurse anesthetist.

What type of personality and physical stamina are required of a perioperative nurse?
Perioperative nurses are called upon to do many different activities that help patients have a successful surgery. They must have the ability to interact well with all kinds of people in difficult situations. They need emotional stability to cope with human suffering and frequent emergencies. The demands of a nursing career require a person who can be caring and empathetic, but also capable of making critical decisions based on available information about the patient. Perioperative nurses must be able to accept responsibility, provide direction to others, coordinate the patient's health care, collaborate with physicians and other health care professionals, and determine when consultation is required.

Along with interpersonal skills, they also need physical strength and stamina to position patients and transport equipment needed for surgery. Operations may require standing for long periods of time.

Skills you develop as a nurse are some of the most valuable and transferable assets found in today's workplace. In fact, some of the skills identified as universal job requirements that are required in nursing include:

• Leadership skills
• Problem-solving
• Working as part of a team
• Communications skills
• Self-starter
• Frequent public contact
• Physical stamina
• Knowledge and proficiency with computers

What can I expect to earn as a Perioperative Nurse?
According to the 2007 AORN Salary Survey, the average staff nurse can expect to earn an annual salary of $60,400, and the average VP, director, or assistant director of nursing makes $93,800. Average base compensation for staff nurses ranges from $59,400 for those working in a small facility (eg, 3 ORs) to $62,300 for those working in a large facility (eg, 15 ORs).

The prospect for employment in the nursing profession is strong in coming years. With an aging population and rising health care costs, nurses are expected to be in high demand into the 21st century. Much of this demand will come because the number of older people is projected to grow very rapidly, and older people are more likely than younger ones to need medical care.

In addition to good pay and a growing demand for nurses, a career in nursing appeals to many people because it can provide a more flexible work schedule than many other occupations. Many of them prefer to make their own work schedules because they have small children at home or want the freedom to work only a few days a week.

What kind of education will I need?
A typical nursing program includes classroom instruction and supervised clinical experience in hospitals and other health care facilities. Students take courses in anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, nutrition, and psychology. To gain the RN title, you must graduate from a state-approved school of nursing - either a four-year university program, a two-year associate degree program, or a three-year diploma program - AND pass the NCLEX-RN licensing exam.

Courses for the four-year university-based Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree may include adult acute and chronic disease, maternal/child health, pediatrics, psychiatric/mental health, and community health nursing. During the last two years of this program, you will participate in supervised clinical practice in hospitals or other health care facilities.

The two-year program for an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) prepares candidates for a more limited and technical scope of practice. Though not widespread, diploma programs are conducted in hospitals and may last two to three years. Many ADN and diploma nurses return to school later to earn a bachelor's degree or higher. Generally, community and junior colleges offer ADN programs.

How do I prepare to become a perioperative nurse?
Depending on where you live and the facility at which you work, you may need to have general nursing experience before entering the specialty area of perioperative nursing. Most medical facilities have a program that will help you attain the necessary experience. Two areas that can give you some applicable experience are critical care and emergency room care. You will get a taste of what it's like to work in a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment where you can participate in life-saving decisions that make a difference.