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Discussion

Can RN's be scrub nurses?

Hi, I'm new to this forum and just applied to school to become an RN. I'm looking into the different areas to go into and being in the OR appeals to me. Are RN's able to be in the OR during surgeries or do you have to be a NP and specialize? Thanks!!

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  • Experts

Oh no, you don't need to be an NP to work in the OR. In some provinces you don't even need to be an RN. Many have a class called "OR tech" that are LPNs or graduates of a recognized Operating Room Technician education programme. Pay is usually the same as for an LPN; Manitoba for example classifies LPNs and level I ORTs the same on the salary grid, and pay them $22.61 to $27.65 per hour. Level II ORTs are paid $24.09 to $29.29 whereas staff nurses are paid $29.54 to $34.83 an hour. I do believe though that to be the scrub nurse you must be an RN. If I'm wrong, somebody will be along to correct me.

ORT/LPNs can scrub too provided they undergone training or OR courses. RNs do scrubs...

  • Experts

I knew someone would straighten me out! Thanks roll_69!!

In Alberta, you have to be a LPN with a valid practice permit to train as an ORT. Exams and then a clinical period of around 500 hours. The LPN has to pay for this out of their own pocket, sometimes CLPNA will cough up a bursary to cover the education portion, but the clinical time is done without wages. Not an opportunity that a lot of LPNs take advantage of. How many can work for free for the better part of three months?

The ORTs are trained to scrub and circulate.

As long as there is one RN in the OR the scrub can either be an LPN/ORT or RN.

The wage increase for the ORT is around $1.20 an hour on top of the LPN wage.

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