Re: Plastic Surgery Nursing!!!
Niptucknurse---I love that name!
Anyways, I have worked in a privately owned plastic surgery ambulatory surgery center for 11 years. While I do not work in the OR, I do a lot with pre-op assessments, pre-op holding/check-in and PACU, and in the office setting with post-op patients. We do a mixture of cosmetic procedures and reconstructive.
We hire nurses here with different backgrounds in nursing and are willing to train them to work in the PACU, office settings and to circulate in the OR. As an RN, most don't actually get to assist unless they have had prior experience or training in the OR. Nurses with critical care backgrounds and L&D nurses seem to work out the best.
At least in our facililty, it is usually a nice place to work, with patients who are generally healthy and who choose to be here. That, in most cases, makes them easy to work with. Most of our cosmetic stuff is done in the office (we have 2 OR's and an 8 bed PACU) and insurance based procedures are done in the hospital.
I am unable to certify in plastic surgery nursing because that requires OR knowledge but I have looked into CAPA or CPAN which focuses on pre and post op care.
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