Responsibilities:

• Ensures complete pre-op assessment including the surgical checklist, nursing documentation and Physician’s assessment
• Receives the patient prior to surgery, gets report from the accompanying nurse and performs
• pre-op checklist.
• Serves as the communication liaison to family and members of the operating team
• Familiar with procedures in operating room and PACU routines and area specific assignments.
• Circulate and assist as needed for surgical procedures
• Scrub for surgical procedures in the operating room independently.
• Prepare operating room for patient/procedure
• Ensure effective recovery of patients post any form of anesthesia.
• Assists with intubation and extubation of patient in the recovery room (RR) and in the operating room (OR).
• Communicates with anesthetists and primary teams regarding patient issues and shifting plans.
• Facilitates safe transfer of patient to alternate level of care as appropriate.
• Promptly reports both clinical and non-clinical unusual findings/incidences to the nurse manager or designee
• Identify patient and family learning needs and initiate appropriate teaching.
• Ensures safety checks are performed to ensure correct patient and correct procedure is performed
• Perform pain assessment and initiate analgesia as required
• Records all care information concisely, accurately and completely, in a timely manner, in the appropriate format and on the appropriate forms
• Coordinates theater list with concerned OR coordinator.
• Ensure all specimens are properly labeled and delivered to the lab in a timely manner
• Provide safe environment for patients through adherence to infection control practices and other safety policies.
• Be able to recognize a patient in a pre- arrest or arrest states, and initiate Basic Life Support
• Dispose of clinical and non-clinical waste safely in accordance with Aga Khan University Hospital Guidelines on waste management
• Administer medication safely, monitor patient responses to medication and promptly report adverse reactions.
• Be accountable for judicious and efficient use of resources i.e. accurate and timely billing of equipment and consumables     .
• Care for equipment through cleaning, storage, per shift check of the inventory and timely reporting_and follow up of nonfunctional equipment to the nurse m nager or designee
• Assist in orientation of new nurses and mentoring of junior nursing staff and students
• Occasionally shift leads under supervision of senior RN
• Participates in unit based continuing education, quality improvement (QI) projects, Clinical Care Program Certification (CCPC), audits, spot checks and skill checks.
• Can be assigned to assist in medical surgical unit

Skills and qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of surgical operation procedures
• Highly skilled at assessing patients prior to surgery and providing them with perioperative care
• Extensive knowledge of aseptic and sterile techniques
• Ability to collaborate with surgeons and other healthcare professionals
• Solid understanding of patient health and safety standards
• Excellent organizational skills

Requirements:

• RN from a recognized school of nursing or university
• Current licensure with the Nursing Council of Kenya
• Certification in Basic Life Support (BLS)
• Higher Diploma in Peri-operative Theatre Nursing is an added advantage
• Demonstrate evidence based knowledge of current practices in theater nursing.