Operating Room Nurse Internship

Job Description

Job Description

The Nurse Residency Program is designed to equip licensed Registered Nurses who lack prior operating room experience with the necessary skills to thrive in an intra-operative setting. This initiative welcomes both recent graduates and experienced nurses from non-surgical backgrounds. Participants will gain essential foundational skills crucial for ensuring safe patient care within the operating room.

This program is available at various medical centers in the Nashville area, including facilities such as Centennial, Summit, Southern Hills, StoneCrest, Horizon, Skyline, Hendersonville, Greenview, and NorthCrest. All residents will commence the program as a group and participate in classroom instruction together. Clinical hours will be conducted at the specific facility where the intern is employed. For instance, if you are assigned to Skyline, all clinical hours will be completed there. An active nursing license in good standing for the state of your hiring facility (Tennessee or Kentucky) is a prerequisite for program entry.

Throughout the five-month duration of the program, interns will work five 8-hour shifts from Monday to Friday. Any alternative shifts will be determined by the hiring manager after the program concludes. Clinical start times may vary based on your preceptor's schedule. For example, if your preceptor begins their shift at 6:30 AM, you will also be expected to start at that time.

This program is designed to help you cultivate the foundational skills necessary for a perioperative RN. Upon graduation, you will still be considered a novice and will continue to acquire specialized experiences after completing the program. Orientation within your department and service line will further enhance the foundational skills acquired during the internship.

Regular check-ins and progress meetings will be scheduled with course instructors, preceptors, and managers to monitor the resident's development.

Attendance and punctuality are mandatory during the educational segments of the program. Exceptions for clinical attendance will be evaluated on an individual basis. Missing a day of lecture or simulation is not allowed. For clinical days, please refer to your facility’s attendance policy.

To successfully complete the internship, Nurse Residents must fulfill the following requirements:

• Complete all course assignments and objective evaluations
• Achieve a final grade of 75% or higher
• Professionalism Requirement: Attend at least one Middle Tennessee Chapter AORN meeting

Residents who do not meet these criteria will be required to meet with surgery management, their preceptor, and the education team to create a personalized action plan, which may involve remediation, reassignment, or withdrawal from the program.

• Self-scheduling options will be posted four weeks in advance to provide predictability in your work schedule
• A culture of mutual respect and collaboration among all surgical staff
• Ongoing investment in equipment, including surgical instruments and patient positioning tools, to ensure optimal patient safety and workflow efficiency in the Operating Room
• Regular interactions with unit leaders, including charge nurses, to ensure your suggestions for patient care and surgical workflow improvements are considered
• On-call duties are required during select non-business hours

• Assess patients prior to surgical procedures
• Provide education to patients and their families regarding the procedure and peri-operative process
• Take responsibility for patient preparation, including intravenous therapy, preoperative medications, and surgical site verification
• Engage in surgical site verification processes, including briefings, time-outs, debriefings, and adherence to universal protocols as per hospital policy
• Identify and respond to patient emergencies
• Deliver high-quality, patient-centered care while implementing evidence-based practices and continuous improvement initiatives
• Act as a vital member of a dynamic interdisciplinary team, which includes providers, surgeons, surgical technologists, and others
• Consistently apply the nursing process, critical thinking, scientific judgment, technical skills, and leadership to independently provide safe nursing care
• Monitor patient conditions throughout your shift and document any changes along with the care provided
• Educate patients and their families/caregivers about the patient's medical condition, treatment options, and follow-up measures

• Basic Cardiac Life Support certification must be obtained within 30 days of starting employment
• Registered Nurse (RN) license
• Associate Degree in Nursing
• Preferred: At least 1 year of RN experience in any specialty

Our organization offers a comprehensive rewards package that supports the health, life, career, and retirement of our team members. Available plans and programs include:

• Comprehensive benefits for medical, prescription drugs, dental, vision, behavioral health, and telemedicine services
• Wellbeing support, including free counseling and referral services
• Time away from work programs for paid time off, paid family leave, long- and short-term disability coverage, and leaves of absence
• Savings and retirement resources , including a 401(k) Plan with a 100% match on 3% to 9% of pay (based on years of service), Employee Stock Purchase Plan, flexible spending accounts, preferred banking partnerships, retirement readiness tools, rollover support, and financial wellbeing counseling
• Education support through tuition assistance, student loan assistance, certification support, dependent scholarships, and partnerships with educational institutions
• Additional benefits for fertility and family building, adoption assistance, life insurance, supplemental health protection plans, auto and home insurance, legal counseling, identity theft protection, and consumer discounts

Note: Eligibility for benefits may vary by location.

Our facility has been providing high-quality healthcare for over 40 years and is recognized as the first Accredited Chest Pain Center in the region, as well as a Certified Primary Stroke Center. We also feature a Birth Center with Sumner County’s only Level II NICU services, spacious LDRP suites, and a lactation boutique for both inpatient and outpatient services. Additionally, our facility holds a Gold Seal Certification in Total Hip and Total Knee replacements from The Joint Commission.

“The best hospitals prioritize the patient and their family, and truly exceptional institutions deliver care with warmth, compassion, and dignity.” - Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr., Co-Founder of HCA Healthcare

Join a team that values every stage of your career! We are currently seeking candidates for our Operating Room Nurse Internship. Apply today , and a member of our Talent Acquisition team will reach out to you.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.