Operating Room Nurses in Canada?

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I graduated from a Canadian nursing school, but have done all of my hands-on training in the US. What is the role of the Operating Room nurse in Canada? Here, we use surgical techs to scrub, so the RN rarely ever gets to scrub. I hear its an all RN staff in Canadian ORs. I would love to move to Ontario and learn to proficiently scrub and circulate all services. Is this realistic?

You can think what you want about out west but I know how it works. ORTs circulate in all the services. Even in the opthamology procedures where GA is used. The guidelines clearly state that an RN is required to be in the room but doesn't define in which situation.

Your facility chooses one route. Other facilities operate differently.

Have you actually worked in an OR setting?

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Opthamology involves far more than cataract surgeries. Ruptured globes and corneal transplants come to mind.

Yes, I have OR experience, I just don't feel the need to run being an expert.

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Opthamology involves far more than cataract surgeries. Ruptured globes and corneal transplants come to mind.

Yes, I have OR experience, I just don't feel the need to run being an expert.

I have done many many corneal transplants and NEVER did they give a GA, nor with vitrectomies, nor DSAEK's, nor PRK.

I worked at a hospital where that's all they did was opthamology. I know what it involoves.

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I'll pass your concerns onto our surgeons. Several of the do their procedures under GA a couple of times a week.

I'm sure they will appreciate your input and get right on it.

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Specializes in OR, and more recently PACU and SDC.

Here in Ontario, most OR's will have RN scrubs. And yes, there is a growing concentration of RPN's joining us in the OR. Budgets, I believe are the biggest reason for this. During orientation you will be scrubbing to familiarize yourself with the services and procedures. If you show an interest, most will be happy to help you. RPN's can circulate with an RN (two circulators). It took me 5 months to find a job in Ontario. They key is to send resumes or make contact directly with the OR manager. HR has a habit of not passing them along to the OR.

In the US where I also worked, they have surgical technologists. Some have done the time, spent the money and often write an exam that actually certifies them in their specialty. Others, as previously mentioned, have been trained on the job (fewer and fewer) and others military trained.

Hope this might be of some help.

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Specializes in Perioperative.

Hi there!

This thread interest me, I am an IEN tyring to seek a job in the OR, does this mean that I must have wider experinece as a circulating nurse rather than a scrub nurse?.... or what exactly is look into when hiring nurses in the OR?

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In Ontario OR Nurses are RPN's (Registered Practical Nurses). These are the Nurses who stand along side the surgeon, passing him instruments. They have to train for another 6 months after graduating RPN school in a specialized OR tech course.

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I thought the OP asked specifically about Ontario. She did. I said how it is in ON. The courses are different in ON. LPN/RPN would never be allowed to help with intubation--their course does not cover that. In ON RPN's scrub only.

Many hospitals have RN only OR staff. I have never ever seen an RPN circulate.

IN Alberta-having the have OR education does not make an RN equal to an LPN in the OR. The RN has a deeper scope of knowledge-obviously.

That is incorrect.

Most hospitals here in Ontario use RPN's (Registered Practical Nurses) in the OR. To go further, these RPN's do much more in the OR than RN's. They scrub in and work along side the surgeon, while the RN simply monitors the computer. I haven't seen an RN scrub in the OR in over a year.

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Hi guys,

I'm currently a LPN ORT in BC, I took my training after 2 yrs of being a "casual" everywhere LPN in Edmonton, AB.

In that course we learnt both the scrub and circulate (incl. assisting the Anesthetists) roles, when we started our practicum (Jan 1009) in BC they said we were only allowed to scrub and some RN's were ****** at us - now in the last month or so they have said we can "circulate". This means we do it all without any ORIENTATION - yeah that's awesome....learnt the role in school 1 yr ago and now they say we can "do it", but we get no orientation!! :confused:

Just some info from a small Regional Hospital in BC.

YJ~~

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Specializes in ICU, ER.
That is incorrect.

Most hospitals here in Ontario use RPN's (Registered Practical Nurses) in the OR. To go further, these RPN's do much more in the OR than RN's. They scrub in and work along side the surgeon, while the RN simply monitors the computer. I haven't seen an RN scrub in the OR in over a year.

Where did you learn that "most hospitals" in Ontario have RPNs scrubbing and doing much more than the RNs who "simply monitor the computer?" I'm curious as this has not been my experience and most certainly isn't the case in my hospital.

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I think they were being sarcastic. About 9/10 it's an ORT who will scrub while the RN circulates. Scrubbing is more mentally strenuous than circulating and from what I've seen, circulators slide in and out on breaks more easily than the scrub.

Some OR managers will let it happen.

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