Perioperative Nurse at Premier Hospital

JOB PURPOSE

The Perioperative Nurse provides specialized clinical care to patients undergoing surgical and invasive procedures, ensuring safe, effective, and evidence-based nursing practice throughout the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative phases.

The role is responsible for maintaining high standards of patient safety, infection prevention, surgical asepsis, accurate documentation, and compliance with clinical protocols and regulatory requirements. The Perioperative Nurse collaborates closely with surgeons, anesthetists, theatre staff, and multidisciplinary teams to ensure seamless surgical workflow, optimal patient outcomes, and efficient theatre operations.

The position plays a critical role in supporting quality improvement initiatives, risk management, equipment and instrument accountability, and adherence to hospital policies and operating theatre standards, contributing directly to service delivery excellence and positive patient experience.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensures that pre-op assessment is complete, including the surgical checklist and nursing documentation and notes any discrepancies and informs concerned staff accordingly.
• Receives the patient prior to surgery, gets report from the accompanying nurse and performs pre- op checklist.
• Familiar with Operating Room procedures, Recovery Room routines, taking assignment e.g. narcotic cupboard.
• Effective management of pre-operative care of elective cases in the operating room
• Effective recovery of stable patients post any form of anesthesia.
• Assists with intubation and extubation of patient in the recovery room (RR) and if required in the operating room (OR).
• Communicates with anesthetists and primary teams regarding patient issues and shifting plans.
• Provides care to ventilated patients.
• Facilitates safe transfer of patient to alternate level of care on approval by anesthetist.
• Must effectively care use and maintain the following equipment
  • Cardiac monitors
  • Diathermy
• Promptly reports both clinical and non-clinical unusual findings/incidences to the nurse manager, team leader or Physician/Surgeons.
• Identify patient and family education needs and implement appropriate teaching
• Perform pain assessment and initiate analgesia as per protocol, patient presentation and doctor`s orders
• Ensure Nursing documentation is timely, comprehensive and complete reflecting the nursing process and nursing quality standards.
• Ensures a safe environment by applying safety measures for the patients/families and healthcare team by following infection control and other applicable policies.
• Coordinates theater list with concerned OR coordinator.
• Assists the physician in performing procedures e.g. scrub or circulating nurse roles
• Ensure all specimens are properly labeled and delivered to the lab in a timely manner
• Be able to recognize a patient in a pre- arrest or arrest states, and to initiate Basic Life Support
• Dispose of clinical and non-clinical waste safely in accordance with Hospital Guidelines on waste management
• Administer medication safely, monitor patient responses to medication and promptly report adverse reactions.
• Be accountable for judicious and efficient use of resources i.e. accurate and timely billing of ward stock drugs and consumables
• Care for equipment through cleaning, storage, per shift check of the inventory and timely reporting and follow up of nonfunctional equipment to the nurse manager.
• Adequately prepare and participate in health talks, presentations, and Continuous Medical Education (CME) events.
• Participate in clinical audits.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS / QUALIFICATIONS

• Diploma in any of the following. disciplines: Kenya Registered Community Health Nursing, Kenya Registered Nursing.
• Higher Diploma in Perioperative Nursing.
• Must be registered by the Nursing Council of Kenya with a Valid Practicing License.
• Experience - 2years of experience in a busy OR.
• Experience providing direct nursing care in surgical cases within the last 1 Year required.

KEY JOB REQUREMENTS

• Excellent clinical acumen.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Effective communication skills - listening, oral and written.
• Good interpersonal skills and a team player.
• Problem solving, conflict resolution and crisis management skills.