Lila Morgenstern

Perioperative nurses use a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to patient care, assisting surgeons and surgical teams to care for the patient before, during and after surgery.

In the operating room, the perioperative nurse may serve as a scrub nurse, selecting and passing instruments and supplies used for the operation maintaining sterile asepsis at all times, or as a circulating nurse, helping the RN, manage the overall nursing care in the operating room and helping the patient, surgeon, anesthetist and scrub nurse to maintain a safe, comfortable environment for the patient.

Specifically, responsibilities and duties of a perioperative nurse include.

• Working with patients prior to surgery to complete paperwork, and help answer questions or calm fears about surgery.
• Monitoring a patient's condition during and after surgery
• Selecting and passing instruments and supplies to the surgeon during operation (referred to as a scrub nurse)
• Managing the overall nursing care in the operating room to help maintain a safe and comfortable environment (referred as a circulating nurse)
• Educating patients on best practices for recovery, including pain/wound management
• Cleaning surgical equipment and operating rooms to maintain a sterile environment.
• Improved patient outcomes by administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and documenting relevant information.
• Collaborate with the healthcare teams to ensure continuous quality patient care.
• Document accurate and complete patient information to address patient problems and expected outcomes.
• Follow ORNAC Standards

As a LPN ORT, I am also certified as a Medical Device Reprocessing Technician whom may be responsible for cleaning the instruments following surgery and operating the Ultrasonic and Synergy Washer for same. The instruments are then wrapped accordingly and sterilized at the appropriate cycle (temp and time) as per manufacturers recommendations.

• Improved patient outcomes by administering medications, monitoring vital signs, and documenting relevant information.
• Cared for wounds, provided treatments, and assisted with procedures.
• Assisted with admissions, appointments, transfers, and discharges.
• Collaborated with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to ensure continuous quality improvement in patient care delivery.
• Documented accurate and complete patient information to address patient problems and expected outcomes.
• Demonstrated excellent technical skills in wound dressing changes, IV therapy administration, catheter insertion, and other routine nursing procedures.
• Managed patient care through closely monitoring respiration, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels.
• Facilitated efficient communication between patients, families, and healthcare providers to promote continuity of care across settings.
• Managed time-sensitive tasks effectively under pressure while maintaining composure during critical situations or emergencies.