Automatically Apply For Jobs With Zippi

Upload your resume to get started.

Circulating Nurse skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

5 min read

Quoted Experts

Angela Mund,

Angela Mund

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical circulating nurse skills. We ranked the top skills for circulating nurses based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 24.8% of circulating nurse resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a circulating nurse needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 circulating nurse skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how circulating nurses use patients:

Assisted in patient surgery preparation by administering proper medication, monitoring patients' conditions and charting abnormalities.
Started IV drips and administered surgical preparations and sedation medications while monitoring patients' vital signs.

2. BLS

Here's how circulating nurses use bls:

Key Accomplishments: * Worked independently before co-workers that were hired at the same time * ACLS, BLS, PALS certified
Obtained BLS and ACLS certifications among others such as telemetry certification and gained experience with multiple computer documenting/charting systems.

3. Plastic Surgery

Here's how circulating nurses use plastic surgery:

Involved with patient care during various surgical procedures in the specialties of Urology, General Surgery, Gynecology and Plastic Surgery.
Specialized in podiatry, GYN, pediatric and plastic surgery.

4. Infection Control

Infection control describes the principles and practices used in hospitals and other healthcare facilities to control and minimize the spread of infections with the aim of lowering rates of infection. Infection control refers to the process of detecting and controlling pathogens in order to reduce their spread.

Here's how circulating nurses use infection control:

Assisted in development of comprehensive infection control program following AAAHC standards.
Maintain continuing education on infection control through APIC

5. Anesthesia

Anesthesia is a treatment done to prevent or relieve the feeling of pain during a procedure like a tooth extraction, minor and major surgery, giving birth, and others. Typically, an anesthesiologist, doctors, nurses, and other health professionals use it. Depending on the so that their patients will be in a state of control or lose their sensation.

Here's how circulating nurses use anesthesia:

Assisted physicians with various tasks during conscious sedation, monitored anesthesia care and general anesthesia.
Assisted with administration of anesthesia; ensured proper positioning of patient for procedures.

6. Acls

Here's how circulating nurses use acls:

Key Accomplishments: * Charge Nurse Operating Room * ACLS certification
Hand, Wrist and Elbow Procedures Arthroscopy and Open Shoulders Knee Arthroscopy and ACLs Podiatry Foot and Ankle procedures open and Arthroscopy

Choose from 10+ customizable circulating nurse resume templates

Build a professional circulating nurse resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your circulating nurse resume.

7. Direct Patient Care

Here's how circulating nurses use direct patient care:

Performed direct patient care throughout the surgery experience
Developed care plans, performed direct patient care, and conducted discharge planning including self-care instructions.

8. Perioperative

Here's how circulating nurses use perioperative:

Participated as a preceptor/mentor to new nurses and helped develop an internship for perioperative nursing.
Completed Perioperative 101 Course and passed Certification exam.

9. Surgical Procedures

Surgical procedures include the list of tasks that are done while doing surgery. Usually, a surgical procedure involves an incision with instruments, performed to repair damage or heal the disease in a living body. Surgical procedures are performed by trained individuals such as surgeons, doctors, and nurses.

Here's how circulating nurses use surgical procedures:

Coordinate with representatives from orthopedic companies any necessary supplies and equipment needed for surgical procedures.
Circulated on surgical procedures including Cardio-Thoracic, Orthopedic, and Urology/ Gynecological cases.

10. IV

Here's how circulating nurses use iv:

Functioned effectively in monitoring patient during IV sedation cases.
Initiate IV therapy and administer medications when necessary.

11. Sterile Technique

Here's how circulating nurses use sterile technique:

Assist in surgery and maintain sterile technique and patient surgery during outpatient surgery.
Assist Surgeons and Scrub Techs to ensure sterile technique is maintained throughout procedures.

12. Administer Medications

Here's how circulating nurses use administer medications:

Administer medications as prescribed and according to facility policy and protocols.
Performed physical assessment, administer medications/IV fluids and monitor recovery process.

13. Pain Management

Pain management refers to an interdisciplinary method to decrease the distress of individuals suffering from pain and improve their quality of life. Usually, it consists of three aspects - medications, injections and surgery, and self-care skills.

Here's how circulating nurses use pain management:

Educated patient and/or guardian regarding post-operative care, medication and pain management.
Circulated in operating room during pain management and orthopedic surgery cases

14. Ortho

Ortho is a medical prefix that refers to straightening something. This is seen in medical professions such as an orthodontist, who straightens teeth, or an orthopedic physician or surgeon, who assists in straightening a skeletal structure to prevent future deformities or harmful issues to develop.

Here's how circulating nurses use ortho:

Scrub General, Gyn and ortho and some Neuro cases as needed.
Experience includes: Gyn General Ortho Vascular/Heart Neurology Plastics Urology Pediatric

15. PACU

Here's how circulating nurses use pacu:

Accompanied patient to PACU and assured that PACU nurse received a full report regarding the patient.
Provided training regarding PACU work flow for bed & device association.

5 Circulating Nurse Resume Examples

Build a professional circulating nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your circulating nurse resume.

Create My Resume

Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.

What skills help Circulating Nurses find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What type of skills will young Circulating Nurses need?

Angela Mund

Vice President, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

To meet the needs of our current volatile and complex healthcare landscape, all healthcare providers will need to understand the business of healthcare, in addition to providing expert patient care. Starting in 2025, all graduates from nurse anesthesia programs will be awarded a doctoral degree, a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP), or a doctorate in nurse anesthesia practice (DNAP). These degree programs include additional anesthesia experience as well as an understanding of effective leadership, healthcare economics and reimbursement, the use of big data for improving patient outcomes, and evidence-based practice.

What skills stand out on Circulating Nurse resumes?

Angela Mund

Vice President, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists

To become a CRNA, the applicant must first be a registered nurse and graduate of a baccalaureate nursing program. A minimum of one year of clinical experience in an intensive care unit (ICU) is required. The application process is rigorous, and many nurse anesthesia programs are seeing higher than typical applicant numbers, perhaps due to the impact of COVID-19 on the ICU nurse workforce.

The most competitive applicants will have an overall GPA >3.5. Basic science courses are heavily weighted with respect to both course grade and type of course. A competitive resumé should include evidence of clinical expertise, leadership, volunteerism, and scholarly work. In addition, all registered nurse applicants should have shadowed a CRNA to learn about the profession prior to application. The interview process may include assessments of critical thinking, decision-making, and emotional intelligence.

What soft skills should all Circulating Nurses possess?

Diane Salvador Ph.D.

Executive Director and Professor, Elmhurst University

The most important skill for new nursing graduates is critical thinking. You will be put into varying roles and assume different responsibilities. You must critically think and evaluate situations you find yourself in and make wise nursing decisions. Another important skill that we emphasize in education is communication - this is key to safe, quality care.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Circulating Nurses?

Diane Salvador Ph.D.

Executive Director and Professor, Elmhurst University

New nurses should be prepared to demonstrate proficiency in basic nursing care and procedures. It is important to realize that each hospital has its own policy and procedure to follow, so taking advantage of your nurse preceptor and orientation program will ensure you are familiar with these basic procedures.

What Circulating Nurse skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Michelle Hampton Ph.D.

Associate Professor, San Jose State University

I think there are always opportunities to work and gain experience once the nurse is licensed. They might need to be creative, flexible, and work where there's a need. That might be a specialty area they hadn't considered or a geographic area that requires some travel. I don't think a gap year is inevitable for all new graduates and there might be opportunities for them to find work, and they can always continue the learning process after you're employed, even if it's not your dream job. The more significant obstacle seems to be for students who are currently still in nursing programs.

Clinical sites weren't accepting students for several months, and now that they are again, they have significantly limited the number of students allowed at one time and the number of hours they can train. When a staff member or patient tests positive, students are pulled from the site for some time, and students are struggling to get the minimum number of hours required to continue progressing in the nursing program. Some schools have even suspended admission for new groups of students instead choosing to focus on getting the current students through the program.

Do you want to know more?

List of circulating nurse skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a circulating nurse resume and required skills for a circulating nurse to have include:

Patients
BLS
Plastic Surgery
Infection Control
Anesthesia
Acls
Direct Patient Care
Perioperative
Surgical Procedures
IV
Sterile Technique
Administer Medications
Pain Management
Ortho
PACU
Vital Signs
GYN

Pre-op
Podiatry
Care Plan
Surgical Equipment
General Surgery
Patient Education
Emergency Situations
Resuscitation
Endoscopy
Post-Op Care
Surgical Services
Intubation
Conscious Sedation
OB
Recovery Room
Pre-operative
Patient Safety

ICU
Spine
Sterile Environment
AORN
Hospital Policies
Catheter
Assessment
Sponges
GI
Surgical Cases
Aseptic Technique
Allergies
Specimen Handling
Pediatrics
Post-Operative Care
Surgical Site

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Zippia Careers
Healthcare Practitioner and Technical Industry
Circulating Nurse
Circulating Nurse Skills

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse healthcare practitioner and technical jobs