More than ever, the world needs compassionate and caring people in the medical field, helping surgeons in the operating room deliver quality care. Scrub nurses are specialized experts who work in operating rooms, closely with surgical staff, to ensure a successful procedure, minimize complications, and ensure that the environment remains sterile throughout the procedure.
These specialists work in hospitals and surgical centers that not only support surgeons in all their activities, but also perform simple operations when the doctors in charge of the operating room cannot intervene on certain patients.
Before looking at the salary these professionals can earn, we’ll examine the different subspecialties of this discipline, the specific tasks they perform, and the interventions they engage in in each subcategory. Also, in addition to discussing how much a nurse or scrub nurse earns, we will see the requirements you must meet to practice in this noble profession and the skills most sought after by recruiters and employers.
Scrub Nursing Subspecialties
Nurses are key players in the health sector, whether they work in hospitals and public or private health centers, or if they work individually with patients at home. Next, we will see what a nurse or a scrub nurse can specialize in.
cardiac catheterization nursing
The personnel working in this area specialize in heart and vascular interventions and assist surgeons in inserting a catheter into one of the cardiac chambers or vessels, in order to diagnose and treat coronary conditions. These procedures are complex, which is why they are only performed in highly specialized health care centers with advanced technologies.
Nursing staff assist with valvuloplasty, angioplasty, and placement of implantable medical devices such as pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, and stents.
To become a cardiac catheterization nurse or nurse practitioner, you must have a valid nursing degree , pass an exam to become a certified nurse practitioner, have worked for at least two years in a hospital as a nurse, have at least two years of with at least 2,000 hours of professional practice and having completed the corresponding specialization course, which can take between four and six years, depending on the number of subjects you choose to take each semester.
anesthesia nursing
As its name indicates, a nurse anesthetist is responsible for the anesthetic activities required by patients before, during and after surgery. These specialists must face a wide variety of circumstances and unforeseen events during their workday. Therefore, the training for this field is extremely intensive and, for this reason, these experts are among the professionals with the highest demand and the highest salaries of all nursing specialties.
Some of his responsibilities include assisting with outpatient procedures, helping patients manage their pain, administering epidural anesthesia or spinal blocks to numb the lower half of the body, and facilitating operative and emergency care.
The requirements to work in this subspecialty may vary slightly, depending on the organization in which the nursing staff works, but the most common are the following:
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have completed their undergraduate degree with honors;
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pass the exam to obtain the license to practice;
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have worked for at least three years in the intensive care area, and
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obtain a master’s degree in anesthetic nursing.
In addition, many hospitals require personnel in this branch to participate in a continuing professional certification program that consists of two cycles of four years each.
otolaryngology nursing
Nurses specializing in the field of otolaryngology provide care to patients suffering from diseases or disorders related to organs in the head, other than the brain, including facial skin, neck, ears, nose, oral cavities, and cranial nerves. .
Their usual tasks are to assist with radiological treatments, diagnose patients and support surgeons with head interventions.
In addition to having your degree as a nurse, the requirements are the following:
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pass the certification exam;
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have worked in this profession for at least two years;
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have experience in nursing practice relating to the eyes, nose, ears, neck and head.
Perianesthesia nursing
This specialty refers to the care before, during and after the operation of a patient who must receive general anesthesia.
Before the intervention, they explain the entire procedure to the patients in detail, from the time they are prepared to undergo surgery to the recovery process. At this time, it is important to evaluate the general health of the patient, through a thorough examination of their health history, their previous surgeries and if the patient has certain psychological factors that may negatively affect the results of the intervention.
During the operation, the nursing staff must monitor the respiratory rate and ensure that the heart rate and blood pressure do not present significant variability and, in case of complications, notify the general anesthetist of the circumstances and collaborate with this specialist to solve the problems. let them happen
After the surgical procedure, a highly qualified nurse regularly checks the patient’s vital signs and performs the necessary tests to verify that there are no adverse reactions or interactions between the medications the patient is receiving. Most patients slowly regain consciousness and do not pose severe side effects, but in some cases, there may be reactions that can be fatal.
In order to be eligible to work in hospital care settings, specialists must be certified and, depending on the type of operations in which they assist physicians, certain years of experience or additional professional training are required.
Plastic surgery nursing
Plastic surgery nurses assist surgeons in everything from simple, non-invasive operations to complicated ones that require a multi-hour procedure and large incisions such as facial reconstruction. They help patients feel comfortable and reassured, explaining the risks and implications clearly. They are also in charge of preparing the operating room and verifying that all the necessary devices and tools are ready and sterilized and assisting the surgical team in all the tasks that must be carried out before, during and after an intervention.
Transplant nursing
Professionals in this field work with patients who donate or receive organs. Before working, they must have very extensive professional training to prepare patients and solve the problems that arise, very frequently, to a greater extent when the donor has already passed away, since many individuals experience organ rejection. In addition to requesting tests that are relevant to verify organ compatibility, they must ensure that both the donor, if alive, and the recipient are in good health and can safely undergo surgery. In addition, transplant nurses should record all adverse and non-adverse events in the patient’s chart.
Because these professionals perform very sensitive jobs, they must participate in continuing education courses, have extensive experience in the field of acute care, keep up to date with new techniques and technologies in the field, and pass a comprehensive certification exam that covers all the parts of the human body.
