Title: Circulating Nurse/Registered Nurse Circulator

Shift: FT

Location: Endeavor Clinical Trials

Job Description:

ERG is a leading U.S. based, privately held, independent clinical research site company, and provider of clinical development services with an expertise in early and late stage neuroscience drug development. With 21 wholly owned clinical sites and 5 affiliated sites, we conduct in-patient and out-patient phase I-IV clinical research studies. ERG has 340+ in-patient beds, a large and growing database of patients suffering from mental illness, neurological disorders, sleep disorders, addictions, Acute and Chronic Pain, diabetes and other illnesses as well as normal healthy volunteers who participate in trials for the advancement of medicine. With access to over 32 million patients/subjects and 5000 + completed trials, ERG continues to grow its capabilities and expand into indications where there are tremendous unmet medical needs in the United States and globally.

The Registered Nurse Circulator is responsible for assisting the surgeons with surgical procedures and acts as the patient advocate. Inside the surgery room, the patient is powerless and incapable of deciding on his or her own, and hence, the circulating nurse acts as the patient advocate while the patient is under the influence of anesthesia. The Nurse Circulator ensures safety of patient within the period of operation. The perioperative nurse is an essential member of the surgery team. The circulating nurse works by collaborating with other members of the team including the anesthesiologist, surgeon, surgical technologist, surgical assistant, and other personnel. They render expert pre-, intra-, and post-operative nursing service.

Perioperative nursing is a nursing specialty requiring a distinct set of skills and knowledge through specialized education and training. The RN Circulator plans and performs all nursing care for patients who will undergo surgery and other invasive procedures. They provide nursing care from assessment to outcome evaluation. With this role, the Perioperative RN is usually the single advocate for patient safety during operative procedures.

Responsibilities:

In the operating room, the duties of the circulating nurse are carried out outside the sterile area. The RN Circulator manages all the necessary care inside the surgery room, assisting the team in maintaining and creating a comfortable, safe environment for the patient and observing the team from a wide perspective. He or she must ensure all surgical team members perform in a unified effort. During operation, most patients are sedated or anesthetized and so, they are powerless to decide on their own. By using assessment, diagnosing, critical thinking, and planning skills, the circulating nurse can direct care and the activities of the team for the patient’s best interest ensuring a positive outcome.

Below is the list of duties and roles of a circulating nurse during perioperative procedure:

• Patient Safety – every patient deserves a trained, skilled, and knowledgeable RN in the surgery room, assuming the role as patient advocate – the primary spokesperson of the patient
• Skillful clinical judgment– observation, knowledge, and assessment skills along with the ability to foresee needs are essential to the success of the operation. This attribute is also an imperative component when making decisions in behalf of the patient
• Informed Monitoring – the circulating nurse serves the welfare of the patient including the team’s success by assuming the role of an active observer, carefully watching any unintended or unanticipated event that could compromise the patient
• Critical thinking –as the patient’s guardian in the operating room, it is the nurse circulator’s job to perform an accurate recording, interpretation, and response to the stream of data that is present during operation
• Accurate assessment – the education, training, and unwavering commitment to the patient allows the RN circulator to respond appropriately and quickly to the patient’s psychological, social, and biological health
• Interpersonal communication skills –possessing a mix of proficiency, perception, and professionalism, these components define a circulating nurse’s ability to interact and collaborate with all members of the team, which results to high quality level of care provided to the patient

Skills and Qualifications:

• Education and experience
  • Graduate of an Accredited School of Nursing with current RN licensure to practice in the State of Texas
  • Successful completion of Basic Cardiac Life Support Course; ACLS and PALS certification
  • Minimum of 2 years’ experience in the OR
  • Must be experienced in working with various levels of employees. Experienced in working with physicians, patients, and various clinical staff desirable
  • Able to initiate or modify behavior to achieve desired outcomes in spite of environmental factors, priorities, or problems that might not be well defined or that are subject to change
• Requirements
  • Knowledge and experience in OR nursing
  • Ability to perform accurate decision-making and perception, allowing not only sound assessment of the patient’s condition but also capable in planning, implementing, and evaluating patient care
  • Ability to correlate clinical data with patient's medical and nursing care