Job Title: Theatre Nurse (Operating Room Nurse)
Location: Lagos, Nigeria
Job Type: Full-Time
Experience: 3-5 years in a surgical or perioperative setting
Job Summary: We seek a skilled and compassionate Theatre Nurse to join our dynamic surgical team. The ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience in perioperative nursing, with a strong understanding of surgical procedures and patient care. You will play a critical role in ensuring the safety and comfort of patients before, during, and after surgery.
Key Responsibilities:

• Patient Assessment: Conduct preoperative and postoperative assessments, including vital signs and patient history.
• Preparation: Prepare patients for surgery, ensuring they understand the procedure by offering necessary patient education and obtaining consent.
• Intraoperative Care: Assist the surgical team during procedures by maintaining a sterile environment, handling instruments, and monitoring the patient’s vital signs and overall condition during the surgery.
• Postoperative Care: Monitor patients’ post-surgery, manage pain and wound management, prevent complications, and ensure a smooth recovery.
• Documentation: Maintain accurate patient records, including notes on preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative care.
• Communication: Act as a liaison between the surgical team, anaesthesiologist, and patient’s family.
• Education: Provide patient education regarding postoperative care and recovery processes.

Patient Preparation:
· Preoperative Assessment: Conduct thorough assessments, including reviewing medical history, confirming allergies, and verifying surgical consents.
· Education and Counselling: Educate patients and their families about the surgery, explaining the process, potential risks, and postoperative care.
· Positioning: Safely position patients on the operating table, ensuring comfort and preventing injury, following the surgeon's guidelines.
· Anaesthesia Assistance: Assist the anaesthesiologist in administering anaesthesia, monitoring the patient’s reaction, and maintaining airway patency.
Surgical Assistance:
· Instrument Handling: Hand sterile instruments, sponges, and other supplies to the surgeon efficiently, anticipating needs based on the surgery's progression.
· Sterile Field Maintenance: Ensure the maintenance of a sterile environment by observing for any breaches and taking corrective action immediately.
· Tissue Handling: Assist in holding retractors, suctioning fluids, and cutting sutures as directed by the surgeon.
· Patient Monitoring: Continuously monitor the patient’s vital signs, blood loss, and overall status during the procedure, alerting the team to any changes.
Intraoperative Duties:
· Specimen Management: Properly label, document, and handle surgical specimens, ensuring they are sent to pathology or stored according to hospital protocol.
· Instrument Count: Accurately count surgical instruments, sponges, and needles before, during, and after the procedure, ensuring nothing is retained in the patient.
· Surgical Documentation: Record detailed notes on the surgical procedure, including times, personnel, patient condition, and any complications or deviations from the plan.
Postoperative Care:
· Wound Management: Assist in closing incisions, applying dressings, and ensuring that the wound site is clean and secure.
· Patient Stabilization: Monitor the patient in the immediate postoperative period, managing pain, preventing complications, and preparing for transfer to the recovery area.
· Recovery Room Transfer: Safely transfer the patient from the operating room to the recovery unit, ensuring all necessary monitoring and care equipment is in place.
· Instrument and Sponge Count: Conduct a thorough count of all surgical instruments, sponges, and needles to ensure none are left inside the patient. Document the count and report any discrepancies immediately.
· Documentation: Accurately document all aspects of the surgical procedure, including times, personnel involved, and any intraoperative complications or changes in the patient’s condition.
· Recovery Monitoring: Monitor patients in the recovery room, checking vital signs, pain levels, and surgical site integrity. Provide interventions as needed to address pain, nausea, or other postoperative issues.
· Patient Discharge Education: Educate patients and their families on postoperative care, including wound care, medication management, activity restrictions, and follow-up appointments.
· Complication Prevention: Identify and address any potential complications early, such as infections, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or excessive bleeding. Implement preventative measures such as administering prophylactic medications or encouraging early mobilization.
Collaboration and Communication:
· Team Coordination: Work closely with the entire surgical team, including surgeons, anesthetists, and other nurses, to ensure a smooth and efficient surgical process.
· Crisis Management: Act quickly in emergencies, such as unexpected bleeding or cardiac arrest, coordinating with the team to stabilize the patient.
· Family Communication: Provide updates to the patient’s family during and after the surgery, explaining the outcome and next steps for recovery.
Compliance and Safety:
· Infection Control: Adhere to strict infection control protocols, including hand hygiene, sterile gowning, and proper disposal of biohazard materials.
· Regulatory Adherence: Ensure all actions comply with hospital policies, accreditation standards, and legal requirements, including maintaining patient confidentiality.
· Patient Safety: Follow all safety protocols, including proper patient identification, surgical site marking, and adherence to time-out procedures before surgery.
· Continuous Improvement: Participate in quality improvement initiatives by providing feedback on surgical outcomes and suggesting improvements to procedures and protocols.
Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (BSN) or equivalent.
• Current and valid Registered Nurse (RN) license.
• Certification in Perioperative Nursing is preferred (RPON)
• 3-5 years of experience in a perioperative or surgical setting.

Perioperative Nurse Skills:

• Ability to provide preoperative and postoperative nursing care
• Knowledge of surgical instruments and supplies
• Ability to monitor patient vital signs
• Proficient in aseptic technique
• Proficient in sterile technique
• Demonstrated knowledge of anatomy and physiology
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals

Salary: Competitive, based on experience
Job Type: Full-time
Application Deadline: 30/11/2024