Surgical nursing is unlike any other specialty. These nurses primarily care for patients while they are under anesthesia, seeing them only briefly before surgery in pre-op. Once in the operating room, patients are put to sleep by an anesthesiologist or a CRNA, and from that point forward, it’s the surgical team’s domain.
🔒 A Mysterious, Closed-Off World
The operating room is territorial and tightly controlled. Unless you’re trained, you don’t step behind those doors. Surgical nurses don’t do dressings, give routine meds, answer call lights, or spend much time with family members. So what do they do? A lot more than meets the eye.
💪 Skilled, Underappreciated, and Vital
These nurses are highly trained professionals who often go unrecognized. They never see the recovery or hear a patient’s thanks—most patients don’t even remember the experience due to sedatives like Versed. Yet surgical nurses are at the heart of every successful operation.
⏰ The Day Begins Early
Most surgical nurses clock in by 6:00 a.m., ready to set up for a 7:00 a.m. case. The daily schedule determines their role—scrub or circulator—and which surgeon they’re paired with. The surgeon’s name can mean the difference between a smooth shift or a total nightmare. Some are skilled but short-tempered; others are kind but clumsy. The lucky days? Those are rare.
🧰 The Prep Begins
If you’re circulating, your day starts with finding your case cart in a sea of others. Missing supplies? Expired instruments? Sterility issues? All on you. While your scrub nurse sets up the sterile field, you help tie their gown—the first dance of the day. Then comes the count: instruments, sponges, needles. Lose one? Prepare for a stressful search.
👩⚕️ Meeting the Patient
Next, it’s time to greet your patient in pre-op. You review the chart, confirm labs, and triple-check allergies—only to hear, “I had a doughnut and coffee this morning.” Great, case canceled. Break down the room and start over. But maybe everything is fine today. The patient’s calm, had their “margarita in a vial,” and is ready to roll.
😬 Into the OR We Go
You wheel the patient back, only to realize she’s still wearing latex-banded underwear… and she has a latex allergy. Fantastic. You assist anesthesia, and finally, the room goes quiet.
Until Dr. Friendly bursts in.
😤 The Chaos Commences
He’s grumpy from morning rounds and furious that nothing on the preference card is right. You’re running around looking for missing tools, the bovie doesn’t work, and the C-arm tech is missing. When things finally settle, the surgeon starts closing, and it’s time for the final count.
Oops—a needle is missing.
You run for the magnet wand, panic rising. At last, you find the needle—beside the scrub nurse’s foot. Crisis averted.
💤 Wrapping Up
The patient starts to wake up, unaware of the chaos behind their successful surgery. You transfer them to post-op, give the PACU report, and breathe—briefly. Only five more cases to go.
💡 A Day in the Life of a Surgical Nurse
Many don’t understand the non-traditional role of surgical nurses and mistakenly think they “don’t do much.” In truth, they work hard behind the scenes, playing a critical role in patient safety and surgical success. They never see the outcome, rarely hear “thank you,” and often fade into the background of a patient’s memory.
But make no mistake—surgical nurses are highly skilled professionals who deserve respect from surgeons, fellow nurses, and the public.
So the next time you see a surgical nurse, offer a smile or a thank you. You never know when you’ll be the one rolling through those double doors.
— Michelle Raines, Former Surgical Nurse