How to hire an operating room nurse

How to hire an operating room nurse, step by step

Here's a step-by-step operating room nurse hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an operating room nurse job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new operating room nurse
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an operating room nurse do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The operating room nurse hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An operating room nurse's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, operating room nurses from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list presents operating room nurse salaries for various positions.

   Type of Operating Room Nurse	Description	Hourly rate
   Operating Room Nurse	Registered nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate patient care, educate patients and the public about various health conditions, and provide advice and emotional support to patients and their family members.	$20-51
   Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner	An advanced registered nurse practitioner (ARNP) is responsible for patient care. An ARNP may practice independently or work with other healthcare professionals such as physicians... Show more	$29-73
   Nurse Clinician	A nurse clinician is a health expert who provides care and assistance to patients in hospitals, clinics, or similar establishments. Among their responsibilities include preparing equipment and documents, administering medication, monitoring the patient's condition, maintaining charts, and regularly reporting to physicians... Show more	$23-42

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • BLS
   • Acls
   • Surgical Procedures
   • PACU
   • Pre-op
   • Perioperative
   • Physician Orders
   • AORN
   • RNs
   • Intubation
   • Rehabilitation
   • Surgical Services
   • CNOR

   Check all skills

   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.
   • Complete BLS and ACLS certification.
   • Specialize in GYN, urology and orthopedics.

   More operating room nurse duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your operating room nurse job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An operating room nurse salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an operating room nurse in Florida may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level operating room nurse usually earns less than a senior-level operating room nurse. Additionally, an operating room nurse with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average operating room nurse salary

   $68,255yearly

   $32.81 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level operating room nurse salary

   $42,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 26, 2025

   Average operating room nurse salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Hawaii	$114,826	$55
   2	California	$102,260	$49
   3	New York	$80,998	$39
   4	Oregon	$80,074	$39
   5	Wisconsin	$78,268	$38
   6	Nevada	$77,486	$37
   7	District of Columbia	$74,282	$36
   8	Pennsylvania	$73,519	$35
   9	New Jersey	$73,421	$35
   10	Illinois	$73,220	$35
   11	Massachusetts	$72,516	$35
   12	Virginia	$71,488	$34
   13	Washington	$70,406	$34
   14	Indiana	$70,382	$34
   15	Arizona	$70,129	$34
   16	Oklahoma	$68,036	$33
   17	Kansas	$66,568	$32
   18	Louisiana	$66,240	$32
   19	Georgia	$66,082	$32
   20	Kentucky	$65,271	$31

   Average operating room nurse salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	University of California-Berkeley	$107,768	$51.81	4
   2	Maxim Healthcare Group	$106,530	$51.22	1,425
   3	Dignity Health	$103,987	$49.99	882
   4	RNnetwork	$98,653	$47.43
   5	Soliant	$98,646	$47.43	35
   6	Valley Presbyterian Hospital	$96,945	$46.61	4
   7	Favorite Healthcare Staffing	$94,673	$45.52	35
   8	Westways Staffing	$94,203	$45.29
   9	MAS Medical Staffing	$93,692	$45.04	538
   10	Interim HealthCare	$93,624	$45.01	595
   11	Access Healthcare Services	$91,470	$43.98
   12	ATC Healthcare	$89,903	$43.22	691
   13	University of California	$88,568	$42.58	129
   14	Tenet Healthcare	$88,097	$42.35	928
   15	Acuity Insurance	$87,659	$42.14	15
   16	Baptist Health Care	$85,537	$41.12	27
   17	Sutter Health	$84,863	$40.80	282
   18	24 Hour Home Care	$84,103	$40.43	23
   19	trustaff	$83,792	$40.28	1,719
   20	UC Santa Barbara	$83,693	$40.24

4. Writing an operating room nurse job description

   A good operating room nurse job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an operating room nurse job description:

   Operating room nurse job description example

   Among our many accolades, we have been designated 8 times the only A-Rated for Safety Hospital, awarded M a g n et Recognition for superior nursing, named Best Regional Hospital by US News and World Report and ranked among the 100 best places to work in healthcare (nationally). Jersey City Medical Center is also ideally located in the vibrant Jersey City waterfront community overlooking the harbor, just 10 minutes from New York City, with a grand view of the Statue of Liberty.

   Job Description

   Jersey City Medical Center is the only 3rd Magnet Designated Hospital for Nursing Excellence in Hudson, Union, or Essex counties. The operating room is an exciting, dynamic and innovative place to work that provides exciting new challenges and professional development. A Registered Professional Operating Room Nurse is an integral part of the perioperative team and serves as an advocate for patients who are undergoing anesthesia and/or sedation. The Operating Room Nurse is responsible for managing nursing care within the O.R. through observing the surgical team from a broad perspective and assisting the team in creating and maintaining a safe, comfortable environment. These responsibilities include but are not limited to, coordinating complete nursing assessments and care for patients and participates in patient and family teaching for assigned patients within the Operating Room. The Registered Professional Nurse in the Operating Room provides leadership by working cooperatively with ancillary and other patient care team personnel in maintaining standards for professional nursing practice in the perioperative setting.

   Additional Requirements

   Must possess:

   Must be able to scrub and circulate

   Excellent communication skills

   Ability to work with members of the perioperative team

   Excellent observation skills

   Knowledge of asepsis, infection control, and effects of anesthesia

   We are committed to High Reliability and consistent demonstration of our Safety Together behaviors and tools:

   S - Speak up for Safety

   A - Accurately communicate

   F - Focus on the task

   E - Exercise and accept a questioning attitude

   T - Thoughtfully interact

   Y - You and Me Together

   RWJBarnabas Health offers excellent-provided benefits which include: competitive compensation, comprehensive medical/dental benefits, 403 (B) savings plan, Flexible Spending Plans, PTO program, tuition reimbursement and so much more.
   
   Equal Employment Opportunity

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find operating room nurses for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any operating room nurses they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level operating room nurses with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your operating room nurse job on Zippia to find and recruit operating room nurse candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as healthcarejobsite, health jobs nationwide, hospitalcareers, medreps.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with operating room nurse candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new operating room nurse

   Once you have selected a candidate for the operating room nurse position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new operating room nurse. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an operating room nurse?