Plastic Surgery Nurse

Registered Nurse (RN)

Yates Institute of Plastic Surgery

Reports to: Essie Yates, MD, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon

Status: Full-time; 40+ hours per week

Location: Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316

Schedule: Clinic and surgery days; occasional early start or late finish to complete surgical cases and post-operative care

Compensation: $55/hour plus health insurance, PTO, retirement

Yates Institute of Plastic Surgery is a boutique cosmetic plastic surgery practice led by Dr. Essie Yates. Our patients are discerning, well-informed, and often high-profile. They choose us for surgical excellence delivered with genuine warmth and absolute discretion. Every touchpoint, from the first consultation through the final post-operative visit, should feel personal and unhurried.

This is a highly demanding role for an exceptional RN. If that is not you, that’s ok, but this is not the right position for you. 

You are the clinical right hand to Dr. Yates: one RN working directly alongside the surgeon across the entire patient journey: consultation, pre-operative education, the operating room, and post-operative recovery. You are the continuity the patient feels. You are the person who remembers their name, their concerns, and exactly where they are in their healing.

The role suits an RN who is equally comfortable calming an anxious pre-op patient, circulating a case, removing a drain, and keeping the supply closet immaculate. It is hands-on, detail-driven, and highly visible.

• Active, unencumbered Florida RN license (or multistate compact privilege) in good standing

• Previous aesthetic plastic surgery experience

• Proven experience with high-demand, high-expectation patients and the discretion and composure that requires

• Exceptional ability to make patients feel seen and heard : warm, present, unhurried, genuinely reassuring

• Demonstrated ability to counsel patients on surgical procedures , including pre-operative preparation, post-operative expectations, recovery timelines, and warning signs

• Working knowledge of eClinicalWorks (eCW) : documentation, telephone encounters, jellies, and patient messaging

• Current BLS certification (ACLS preferred)

• Meticulous, on-time documentation habits

• Professional presentation and communication consistent with a high-touch patient experience

• OR circulating and/or surgical first-assist experience in an office-based or ambulatory surgery setting

• Experience with medical weight-loss programs and injectable therapies

• Clinical photography experience for aesthetic patients

• Respond promptly and warmly to patients across every channel: email, SMS, Weave (practice text system), and jellies within eClinicalWorks

• Triage clinical questions, escalate to Dr. Yates as appropriate, and close the loop so no patient message goes unanswered

• Counsel patients through pre-operative instructions and post-operative expectations, reinforcing what was discussed in consultation

• Serve as the consistent, trusted point of contact patients associate with the practice

• New patient intake: complete the H&P on all new patients, including standardized clinical photography

• Documentation and charting: excellent, complete, and on time; charts closed the same day

• Post-operative visits for surgical patients: assessment of healing, incision and drain care, and patient education

• Prescription management: prepare, transmit, and refill prescriptions under Dr. Yates’ direction; maintain accurate medication records

• Supplies: order, receive, and stock clinical supplies, gowns, and exam rooms; maintain par levels and prevent stock-outs

• Gowns: launder, maintain, and rotate patient gowns and linens

• Hazardous waste: manage sharps, biohazard, and regulated medical waste in compliance with OSHA and Florida Department of Health requirements; maintain logs and coordinate pickups

• Keep exam rooms spotless, fully stocked, and turnover-ready throughout the day

• Autoclave and process instruments; maintain sterilization logs, spore testing, and instrument sets

• Circulate operating room cases and recover patients as required

• Surgical assist as required

• Prepare the OR, verify instrumentation and implants, and perform counts and time-outs

• Turn the room over efficiently between cases without compromising sterile technique

• Conduct wellness checks on post-operative patients on a defined schedule

• Perform drain removal and suture or staple removal, per Dr. Yates’ protocols

• Administer weight-loss injections and other injectable therapies per standing orders and protocol

• Identify and escalate complications early: hematoma, infection, seroma, or abnormal healing

• Document every post-operative interaction accurately and on time

• Patients describe their care as personal, attentive, and reassuring and say so publicly

• Charts are complete and closed the same day, every day

• No patient message goes unanswered for more than 1 hour during business hours

• Surgery days run on time, with instruments ready and rooms turned over efficiently

• Supplies, gowns, and waste handling are never a source of friction or compliance risk

Ability to stand for extended periods during surgical cases; lift and carry up to 25 lbs; assist with patient positioning and transfers; and perform repetitive fine-motor tasks. Exposure to bodily fluids, sterilization chemicals, and surgical environments is expected, with appropriate PPE provided. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this role.

Yates Institute of Plastic Surgery is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.