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Operating Room Assistant skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted Experts
Comora Sarah,
Megan Harvey Ph.D.
Operating Room Assistant Example Skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical operating room assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for operating room assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 34.4% of operating room assistant resumes contained patients as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an operating room assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 operating room assistant skills for your resume and career

1. Patients

Here's how operating room assistants use patients:
  • Conducted post-operative assessments by monitoring vitals, evaluating scarring/swelling, and checking fluid levels; supervised patients in recovery room.
  • Registered new and existing patients upon arrival; checked-out and scheduled appointments upon patient departure.

2. Surgery

Here's how operating room assistants use surgery:
  • Maintained cleanliness and orderliness of the operating rooms according to proper protocols to ensure a sterile environment in preparation for surgery.
  • Maintained and set up patient admit and recovery areas-Prepare carts for surgery for operating rooms-Stock designated areas with medical supplies

3. 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 operating room assistants use anesthesia:
  • Ordered medical equipment and posted anesthesia charges.
  • Process surgical specimens and anesthesia supply charges.

4. Room Turnover

Here's how operating room assistants use room turnover:
  • Perform a variety of duties on the operating room floor * Assist nurses with equipment, surgical preps, and room turnover
  • Coordinated patient transport, general cleaning, equipment cleaning, gathering equipment, specimen transport and room turnover.

5. Direct Patient Care

Here's how operating room assistants use direct patient care:
  • Assisted PACU nursing staff in the transfer of patient, and direct patient care.
  • Experienced with direct patient care and health professionals while completing sterile set up as well as during operation procedures.

6. Cleanliness

Here's how operating room assistants use cleanliness:
  • Maintain cleanliness and organization of floor storage and housekeeping carts including monitoring inventory.
  • Monitored the cleanliness of the dining area and kitchen utensils to ensure students' safety and satisfaction with the dining experience.

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7. Patient Safety

Here's how operating room assistants use patient safety:
  • Organized mobile medical equipment units ensuring patient safety.
  • Maintained Sterility in OR suite for patient safety during surgery.

8. Customer Service

Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.

Here's how operating room assistants use customer service:
  • Provided excellent customer service and consistently recognized as a top performer in the resident reward & recognition program.
  • Shipped and received packages, delivered packages, accessed inventory, provided customer service and performed bookkeeping.

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 operating room assistants use surgical procedures:
  • Sterilized medical instruments and sanitized operating room and patient holding areas before/after surgical procedures.
  • Educated in surgical equipment identification while assisting in surgical procedures.

10. CPR

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is a medical procedure that involves chest compression to help a patient breathe. This artificial ventilation helps in keeping the brain function in place and regulates blood throughout the body. CPR is a lifesaving procedure that is used in emergencies.

Here's how operating room assistants use cpr:
  • Head lifeguard, American Red cross certified in First Aid and CPR.
  • Assisted with CPR of patient, during a cardiac arrest.

11. Clean Environment

Here's how operating room assistants use clean environment:
  • Collaborated with medical staff and maintained clean environment.
  • Organized the workplace and maintained a clean environment to the best of my ability.

12. Patient Transport

Here's how operating room assistants use patient transport:
  • Assist the OR with patient transporting, positioning, patient supplies as well as setting up beds for particular procedures.
  • Provided safe, expedient, and efficient patient transports from the operation room to the recovery room.

13. Team Work

Here's how operating room assistants use team work:
  • Led team workouts for Women's Tennis, Women's Volleyball and Women's Cross Country.
  • Maintained and controlled clubs driving range to ensure each members satisfaction Provided great leadership and team work to achieve our goals

14. PACU

Here's how operating room assistants use pacu:
  • Monitored and maintained inventory of surgical supplies for the OR, PACU and Day Surgery ensuring availability for scheduled cases.
  • Assist RN's with patient recovery in PACU, setup and turn over operating rooms.

15. Stretchers

Here's how operating room assistants use stretchers:
  • Cleaned and prepared stretchers, wheelchairs, and patient rooms.
  • Transported to patients in their stretchers to get a medical tests as MRI, X rays.
top-skills

What skills help Operating Room Assistants find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on Operating Room Assistant resumes?

Comora Sarah

Assistant Clinical Professor, Merrimack College

Experience in the industry, Dementia training, BLS certification

What soft skills should all Operating Room Assistants possess?

Megan Harvey Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Health Science, Springfield College

Problem-solving is such an important skill. We need health care providers who think for themselves and attempt to answer their own questions, AND - that know how to balance that with asking for help when they need it.

What Operating Room Assistant skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Penny Ridenour

Dean of School of Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Oklahoma City

To differentiate yourself from the other new professionals entering healthcare after graduation, pay attention to the soft skills employers are looking for. Listening, empathy, and communication skills polish professional persona. Also, developing skills in resiliency will equip new professionals for a growing career in healthcare.

List of operating room assistant skills to add to your resume

Operating Room Assistant Skills

The most important skills for an operating room assistant resume and required skills for an operating room assistant to have include:

  • Patients
  • Surgery
  • Anesthesia
  • Room Turnover
  • Direct Patient Care
  • Cleanliness
  • Patient Safety
  • Customer Service
  • Surgical Procedures
  • CPR
  • Clean Environment
  • Patient Transport
  • Team Work
  • PACU
  • Stretchers
  • Blood Products
  • Medical Equipment
  • Surgical Equipment
  • Sterile Technique
  • Aseptic Technique
  • Equipment Room
  • Sterile Environment
  • Exam Rooms
  • Surgical Suite
  • Surgical Instruments
  • Blood Bank
  • Vital Signs
  • Surgical Cases
  • Autoclaves
  • IV
  • Retractors
  • Inventory Control
  • Front Desk
  • Blood Pressure
  • Catheter
  • Patient Charts
  • Patient Rooms
  • Stock Room
  • Tourniquet
  • Operation Room
  • Resuscitation
  • Game Room
  • Recovery Room
  • EKG
  • Fine Dining

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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