What are the pros and cons of being an operating room nurse?

The pros of being an operating room nurse are competitive benefits and a feeling of accomplishment, while the cons are long shifts and emotional burnout. Here is a more detailed look at the pros and cons of being an operating room nurse:

How To Become An Operating Room Nurse: What It Is and Career Path

What is an operating room nurse and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Earlene Masi,

Kim Raines

An operating room (OR) nurse, also known as a perioperative nurse, is a registered healthcare professional in charge of safe, efficient, and effective patient care in the operating room. He/she provides quality care and support to patients before, during, and after surgery. OR nurses are also responsible for assisting surgeons and the surgical team during operations.

Operating room nurses mostly work in hospitals and other medical facilities. In order to be successful in their role, operating room nurses nurses should have a profound knowledge of operation procedures and patient safety. They should also be equipped with communication skills, attention to detail and interpersonal skills, and problem-solving skills.

Operating room nurses usually work 12-hour shifts. They are, however, expected to be on call throughout the day and night as they may be called in in cases of emergencies.

What general advice would you give to an operating room nurse?

Earlene Masi

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science, Anderson University

Always be true to yourself. In any situation, never be afraid to ask for help. As you enter the workforce, remember communication is critical, always be a team player, and always be open to change. Remember to try and find a job that you enjoy, and that gives you a sense of fulfillment.

ScoreOperating Room NurseUS Average

Salary

5.3

Avg. Salary $68,255

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 6%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.44%

Asian 8.88%

Black or African American 11.65%

Hispanic or Latino 9.29%

Unknown 4.28%

White 65.45%

Gender

female 85.19%

male 14.81%

Age - 43

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 43

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

9.1

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

7.8

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an operating room nurse

Explore operating room nurse education requirements

Most common operating room nurse degrees

Bachelor's

49.2 %

Associate

36.6 %

Diploma

6.7 %

Start to develop specific operating room nurse skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	20.74%
BLS	12.64%
Acls	7.09%
Surgical Procedures	4.38%
PACU	3.11%

Complete relevant operating room nurse training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 3-6 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New operating room nurses learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an operating room nurse based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real operating room nurse resumes.

Obtain the necessary licensing

Becoming an licensed operating room nurse usually require a college degree. However, you need to pass an exam to become a licensed operating room nurse in most of states. 43 states require operating room nurses to have license for their work. You can see the list of states below.

State	Education	Exam	License url
Alabama	Degree required	State exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
Alaska	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Arkansas	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse (RN)
California	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Nurse, Registered
Colorado	Degree required	Third-party exam required	Registered Nurse

Gain additional operating room nurse certifications

Operating room nurse certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific operating room nurse certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for operating room nurses include CNOR Certification (CNOR) and Basic Life Support (BLS).

More About Certifications

Research operating room nurse duties and responsibilities

Post op surgery assist recovery nurse with obtaining vitals signs and attaching EKG leads and oxygen.
Achieve departmental goals and objectives by instituting SGNA standards and processes for inpatient and outpatient care.
Organize and manage regular clinics involving external physicians, including ophthalmology, ENT, Med/Surg, orthopedics, and podiatry professionals.
General surgery, ortho, GU, GI and ENT and dentals.

Prepare your operating room nurse resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your operating room nurse resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an operating room nurse resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable operating room nurse resume templates

Build a professional operating room nurse resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your operating room nurse resume.