Circulating Nurse

Short Description

The circulating nurse runs the operating room outside the sterile field. They coordinate safety checks, get equipment/supplies, document the case, and keep communication flowing so surgery stays safe and smooth.

Main Priorities

• Safety checks: lead the “time-out” (right patient, procedure, side), allergy review, implant/stent checks.
• Positioning & protection: help place padding, warming blankets, and leg compression devices to prevent injuries and clots.
• Equipment & supplies: bring in what the sterile team needs; troubleshoot devices and call for backups.
• Counts & documentation: perform sponge/needle/instrument counts with the scrub nurse and chart critical events and specimens.
• Medication & specimen handoff: verify labels, doses, timing (e.g., antibiotics) and route specimens to lab/pathology correctly.
• Communication: coordinate with anesthesia, the transplant team, and (via policy) updates to your family/waiting area.

Issues They Work With

• Breaks in sterility: identify and correct immediately.
• Count discrepancies: pause and resolve before closing.
• Equipment failures: obtain replacements, adjust settings, or call biomed/OR support.
• Temperature & pressure risks: maintain warmers and padding to prevent hypothermia and pressure injuries.
• Specimen/implant tracking: ensure accurate labels, logs, and chain-of-custody.

When to Go to Them

• Pre-op holding/OR check-in: they’ll confirm your identity, allergies, procedure, and any special concerns (e.g., difficult IV access, sensitive skin, devices).
• During surgery: you’ll be asleep—the circulating nurse advocates for safety and keeps the room running.
• After surgery: your point of contact becomes the PACU nurse, then the inpatient/transplant unit nurse. The circulating nurse doesn’t follow you after transfer.

What They Don’t Handle (Boundaries)

• They don’t manage long-term medications or clinic follow-up—your transplant team does.
• They don’t handle refills, insurance, or discharge paperwork—unit staff/coordinators handle those.
• They don’t provide post-op phone triage—use your clinic’s on-call process.

Informational only; titles and policies vary by hospital. Some tasks may be shared with surgical technologists or other OR staff.