Mid-Career Switch
Nursing and non-nursing career switches.
Scope of Practice
Role Description - Staff Nurse
- Provides direct patient care
- Teaches patients and families self-care
- Administers medications, IV therapy and treatments
- Performs assessments
- Plans, implements, evaluates and documents care
- Serves as preceptor, team leader, supervises RNs, LPNs, and other non-licensed health care practitioners
- Advocates for the patient and family with other members of the health care team
Work Setting
- Surgical clinics
- Labor and delivery
- Hospital
- Operating room
- Ambulatory surgery centers
- Physician's offices
- Military
- Infection control
- Pre or postoperative setting
- Procedural locations (radiology, GI lab, cardiac catheterization lab)
Required Education / Preparation
- Graduate of accredited school of nursing
- Search for Schools
- Current licensure in state
- BLS
- AORN Periop 101 course or equivalent if no OR experience, within one month of hire
- ACLS within 6 months of hire if required to administer moderate sedation or monitor local anesthesia cases
Note: Non-nursing candidates will have extended educational preparation, ie school of nursing, new graduate orientation, before beginning perioperative education and preparation. Nurses transferring from another unit to perioperative nursing will have many transferrable skills but will lack basic perioperative skills.
Preferred Education / Preparation
Professional Development
Career Preparation
Education
Other education programs to consider: Infection control practitioner, risk manager, QA coordinator, OB staff, interventional radiology staff
Resources