The Role of the RN In Medical Surgical - Essay Example

Surgical nurses play a fundamental role in provision of health care services to patients before, during and after surgical operations. Their work consists of both outside and inside the sterile field where they deal with direct patient care as well as offering the necessary support to the surgical team (Workman, 2009). Under the surveillance of a surgical physician, surgical nurses offer services in the operation room in addition to pre-surgical departments in the hospital. Their services facilitate smooth operating procedures by preparing patients for a surgery, helping the surgeon during an operation and further attending to the patients after the surgery until they fully recover.

However, even though the working environment for surgical nurses can be considered to be good, sometimes they turn out to be both emotionally and physically stressful since they are required to be alert for most of their shifts and sometimes they are forced to work beyond their scheduled shifts (Maclise, 2008). Recovery surgical nurses are registered nurses who offer their services to patients before and after a surgery, their major role is to prepare patients for surgical procedures by administering pre-surgical services like intravenous injections, observation of the medical history of the patient, conducting a complete blood test and other preliminary surgical requirements such as shaving (Workman, 2009).

RNs who work in the recovery sector monitor the reaction of the patient as he or she recovers from the effects of the anesthesia administered before the surgery. They basically observe for patient’s vital recuperation indicators, clean and dress the wounds as well as administer the recommended medication in addition to assisting the patient with pain management strategies. Further, they assist with provision of post-surgery health care education to both the patient and his/her family (Ignatavicius, 2007).

Surgical nurses also offer sterility services to the surgeon by ensuring that each and every surgical instrument is sterilized to the required standard in an effort to guarantee that there are reduced chances of contamination and infection. The nurses are treated with antimicrobial soap and equipped with a sterilized suit; this ensures that microbes which can infect the patient during the operation are kept at bay (Maclise, 2008). These nurses prepare the required surgical instruments and other essential supplies that are needed during the operation procedure.

There are also some nurses who play a fundamental role during the surgery even though they are not involved in the sterile field. Their duties include securing any additional instruments that may be required during the surgery, preparing samples for lab tests and also ensuring that bio-hazardous wastes are well disposed (Workman, 2009). It is the duty of a surgical nurse to treat patients who are under acute health conditions after undergoing a surgery since most of the patients will be in need of pain management medication (Ackley & Ladwig, 2010).

The surgical RN has the responsibility of ensuring that the patient takes the exact medication which has been prescribed by a surgeon or a doctor as some of the prescriptions can be harmful if taken incorrectly and thus, they call for the proper dosage at the appropriate time. A surgical nurse is also required to talk to the patient at least more than 10 times a day so as to realize