Walk-in || Staff Nurse - Operation Theatre Department

Role & responsibilities

1. Preoperative patient preparation

• Receive the patient from the ward or preoperative holding area using the prescribed handover checklist.
• Verify patient identity, planned procedure, operative site, consent documentation, and surgical-site marking as applicable.
• Check allergies, fasting status, relevant investigations, and preoperative assessment records.
• Ensure prescribed preoperative medications and preparation are completed.
• Provide reassurance, privacy, dignity, and safe transfer to the operating table.

2. Maintenance of asepsis and infection control

• Perform surgical hand antisepsis and follow correct gowning and gloving procedures.
• Maintain the sterile field and identify potential contamination immediately.
• Ensure instruments, drapes, and supplies are appropriately sterilized and handled.
• Follow OT cleaning, disinfection, biomedical waste segregation, and PPE protocols.
• Minimize unnecessary OT traffic and follow infection-prevention policies.

3. Scrub nurse responsibilities

• Prepare the sterile instrument trolley and arrange instruments, sutures, needles, swabs, and other supplies.
• Check instrument integrity and availability before the procedure.
• Assist with sterile draping and maintain the sterile field.
• Pass the correct instruments and supplies to the surgeon during surgery.
• Perform and reconcile surgical counts with the circulating nurse according to protocol.
• Handle specimens safely and coordinate their transfer in accordance with the team's instructions.

4. Circulating nurse responsibilities

• Prepare the operating room for the scheduled procedure.
• Check the availability and functioning of the operating table, surgical lights, suction, electrosurgical equipment, and other required devices.
• Coordinate supplies and assist the sterile team without compromising asepsis.
• Participate in patient verification, surgical safety checks, and the team time-out.
• Document important events, procedure times, counts, and nursing care.
• Coordinate specimen labeling, safe transport, waste disposal, and room turnover.
• Postoperative and recovery-room responsibilities

5. Post-anaesthesia care

• Receive the patient from the operating room team with a structured handover.
• Assess airway patency, breathing, circulation, consciousness, pain, and vital signs.
• Monitor oxygen saturation and administer oxygen as prescribed.
• Observe for bleeding, nausea, vomiting, hypothermia, and other postoperative complications.
• Monitor IV fluids, drains, dressings, and prescribed infusions.
• Escalate deterioration promptly and document the patient's response to treatment.

6. Patient transfer and handover

• Ensure the patient is stable for transfer according to the responsible clinician's assessment and recovery criteria.
• Communicate the procedure performed, anaesthesia, allergies, medications, blood loss, drains, and pending investigations.
• Ensure appropriate monitoring and personnel accompany the patient during transfer.
• Complete recovery records and communicate postoperative instructions to the receiving nurse.

7. Equipment and material management

8. OT equipment and instrument management

• Check instruments, equipment, and emergency trolleys before scheduled procedures.
• Ensure equipment is functional and report faults to the appropriate department.
• Handle instruments safely and coordinate decontamination and sterilization with the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD).
• Maintain adequate stocks of sutures, dressings, sterile supplies, implants, and consumables.
• Check expiry dates, packaging integrity, and sterility indicators according to policy.

9. Emergency preparedness

• Assist during cardiac arrest, haemorrhage, anaphylaxis, and other surgical emergencies.
• Ensure resuscitation equipment and emergency drugs are available as assigned.
• Activate the hospital emergency response and support the surgical and anaesthesia teams.
• Participate in emergency drills and competency-based training.

Preferred candidate profile

• GNM, B.Sc. Nursing, or Post Basic B.Sc. Nursing from a recognized institution.
• Valid registration
• Relevant experience in an Operation Theatre (OT) department is preferred
• Compassionate, disciplined, attentive to detail, adaptable, and capable of working under pressure.
• Willingness to work rotational shifts, nights, weekends, and emergency duties as required.