What is Surgical Nursing?
Surgical nursing or perioperative nursing is a nursing career which focuses on care for surgical patients. Surgical nurses may work in pre or post-operative care units as well as operating rooms, and they are a critical part of the surgical care team. Most people who go into a hospital for surgery will interact with a surgical nurse at some point. The career outlook in surgical nursing is very good, especially for nurses who have specialized in specific surgical fields such as cardiothoracic surgery, and compensation for people who choose to pursue careers in surgical nursing tends to be quite excellent. In the realm of pre-operative care, a surgical nurse monitors a patient who is about to undergo surgery, confirming that he or she is in good health for the procedure. The nurse may also help prepare the patient by placing intravenous lines, cleaning the surgical site, and so forth, and many surgical nurses also discuss surgeries with their patients so that the patients know what to ex
