Registered Nurse - Operating Room - Preop, PACU HOT JOB

SEARHC is seeking a Registered Nurse for the Operating Room to provide perioperative nursing care in preoperative and post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) settings. As a circulator nurse, you will coordinate perioperative workflow outside the sterile field, preparing patients, verifying documentation, ensuring equipment readiness, completing safety checklists, and facilitating communication among the surgical team. You will serve as the patient's advocate while maintaining situational awareness, anticipating needs, supporting sterile staff, and documenting key intraoperative events to maintain a safe and efficient surgical environment. On-call coverage for urgent and emergent surgical cases is required.

Responsibilities

• Perform comprehensive patient assessments and develop individualized plans of care
• Implement and evaluate nursing interventions and patient responses
• Administer medications and treatments safely and accurately per provider orders and policy
• Recognize changes in patient condition and initiate appropriate interventions or escalation of care
• Provide patient and family education related to care, medications, and discharge needs
• Deliver culturally responsive, patient-centered care
• Apply critical thinking and professional judgment to perform and interpret comprehensive assessments
• Recognize significant changes in patient condition requiring nursing intervention or provider notification
• Develop, implement, evaluate, and revise individualized nursing plans of care based on patient needs, responses, preferences, and clinical circumstances
• Integrate clinical findings with ethical principles, cultural considerations, patient safety standards, and regulatory requirements when making nursing decisions
• Accept accountability for nursing decisions, delegated tasks, and outcomes of nursing care
• Collaborate with providers and interdisciplinary team members to coordinate care
• Facilitate referrals, follow-up care, and continuity of services
• Document assessments, interventions, and outcomes accurately and timely in the electronic health record
• Advocate for patient care and assist patients in navigating the healthcare system
• Practice within nursing scope of practice and adhere to regulatory, safety, and infection prevention requirements
• Participate in quality and performance improvement activities
• Maintain required competencies and certifications
• Report adverse events, near misses, and unsafe conditions per policy
• Demonstrate professionalism, accountability, flexibility, and teamwork
• Provide appropriate guidance and delegation to ancillary staff
• Support orientation, mentoring, and education of staff, students, and peers
• Float to other departments or assignments as needed

Required Qualifications

• Associate's degree in Nursing from an accredited program
• Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse license in the State of Alaska
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification from American Heart Association
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification from American Heart Association
• Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) certification from American Heart Association
• Clinical competency validation required within 3 months of hire and every 3 years thereafter
• High-risk competency validation required within 3 months of hire and annually thereafter

Certification Requirements by Experience Level

New Nursing Program Graduates:

• BLS required at time of hire
• ACLS, PALS, and other specialty-specific certifications (NRP, TNCC, ENPC as applicable) must be obtained within 6 months of hire

Experienced Nurses New to a Specialty Area:

• All required specialty-specific and advanced certifications (ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC, ENPC based on practice area requirements) must be obtained within 6 months of hire

Experienced Nurses:

• Evidence of current required certifications for the position must be provided at time of hire (ACLS, PALS, NRP, TNCC, ENPC as applicable to practice area)

Nurses with Float Areas:

• Must complete required certifications for the highest level specialty in which they will provide care

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of nursing principles, evidence-based practice, medication safety, and infection prevention
• Strong clinical judgment, organization, prioritization, and communication skills
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
• Proficiency with electronic health records and clinical systems

Physical and Work Requirements

• Ability to lift, push, pull, and move up to 50 pounds
• Ability to stand for extended periods and perform bending, stooping, and kneeling
• Ability to work in a moderate-to-high noise clinical environment
• On-call coverage required to support urgent and emergent surgical cases

Compensation and Benefits

• Sign-on bonus up to $25,000 for qualified hires
• Relocation assistance up to $10,000 for qualified hires
• Retirement plan
• Paid time off
• Paid parental leave
• Health insurance
• Dental and vision benefits
• Life insurance
• Long and short-term disability coverage