Registered Nurse (RN) – Ambulatory Surgery Center
Position Summary
The Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) Registered Nurse (RN) is a highly skilled, flexible, and team-oriented clinical professional responsible for supporting the safe and efficient delivery of perioperative care in an ambulatory surgery environment. This position requires the ability to function across multiple areas of the surgical center, including Pre-Operative, Post-Anesthesia/Recovery, and Operating Room Circulation, based on daily surgical schedules and operational needs.
The RN will work collaboratively with surgeons, anesthesia providers, surgical technologists, medical assistants, administrative staff, and leadership to ensure patients receive high-quality, safe, and efficient care throughout the surgical experience.
In addition to direct patient care, this position will support case preparation, surgery scheduling, pre- and post-operative patient communication, supply management, quality initiatives, infection prevention, and key performance indicator (KPI) monitoring.
This is an 8:00 AM–5:00 PM facility, Monday through Friday; however, the RN's schedule and hours may vary based on the surgical schedule, patient volume, specialty needs, and operational requirements of the facility.
Essential Responsibilities
Perioperative Clinical Care
- Provide safe, compassionate, and evidence-based nursing care to patients throughout the perioperative experience.
- Maintain competency and flexibility to work in multiple clinical areas, including:
- Pre-Operative/PAT: Patient assessment, medication reconciliation, history review, vital signs, IV initiation, laboratory/test review, surgical preparation, patient education, and identification of potential clinical concerns prior to surgery.
- Operating Room Circulator: Function as the circulating RN during surgical procedures, maintaining patient safety, coordinating the surgical team, documenting appropriately, assisting with positioning and surgical preparation, verifying required equipment and supplies, and maintaining compliance with facility policies and standards.
- PACU/Recovery: Monitor patients during the post-operative recovery period, assess vital signs and clinical status, manage pain and nausea as ordered, identify complications, provide discharge education, and ensure appropriate discharge criteria are met.
- Flex between clinical areas as needed to maintain appropriate staffing and support daily surgical operations.
- Participate in patient identification, surgical site verification, time-outs, specimen management, medication safety, and other surgical safety processes.
- Recognize changes in patient condition and appropriately escalate concerns to the physician, anesthesia provider, and/or leadership.
- Provide patient and family education related to pre-operative preparation, post-operative care, medications, activity restrictions, wound care, and follow-up.
Surgery Scheduling & Case Preparation
- Assist with surgery scheduling and coordination of surgical cases.
- Review upcoming surgical cases and patient demographics/records prior to scheduling to identify missing information, potential concerns, or requirements that may impact the patient's ability to proceed.
- Assist in ensuring appropriate documentation, orders, clearances, laboratory results, diagnostic testing, consents, and other required information are available prior to surgery.
- Review upcoming surgical schedules and assist with preparing cases based on surgeon preference, procedure type, and specialty requirements.
- Coordinate with surgeons' offices, anesthesia providers, vendors, and other members of the healthcare team to ensure cases are appropriately prepared.
- Identify potential scheduling or clinical issues early and communicate them to the appropriate individuals.
- Assist with maintaining accurate and complete case information within the facility's scheduling and clinical systems.
Pre- and Post-Operative Patient Communication
- Conduct pre-operative calls to patients as assigned.
- Review and reinforce pre-operative instructions, including medication instructions, fasting requirements, arrival times, transportation requirements, and other facility-specific instructions.
- Conduct post-operative follow-up calls as appropriate to assess patient recovery, reinforce discharge instructions, and identify potential complications.
- Communicate patient concerns or abnormal findings to the appropriate provider.
- Document all patient communications accurately and timely.
Quality, Infection Prevention & Patient Safety
- Maintain compliance with applicable ASC, state, federal, regulatory, and accreditation standards.
- Participate in quality improvement and patient safety initiatives.
- Understand and monitor applicable Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to clinical quality, patient safety, efficiency, infection prevention, patient experience, and operational performance.
- Support infection prevention and control practices, including appropriate hand hygiene, PPE use, aseptic technique, environmental safety, and compliance with facility infection prevention policies.
- Participate in infection prevention surveillance, audits, education, and corrective action initiatives as assigned.
- Assist with identifying trends, variances, and opportunities for improvement.
- Promote a culture of safety, accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
Medical Supplies & Equipment
- Assist with ordering, stocking, and maintaining medical supplies and equipment.
- Monitor inventory levels and communicate supply needs to leadership or the appropriate purchasing personnel.
- Assist with identifying supplies and equipment required for specific surgical cases and specialties.
- Review upcoming surgical schedules to anticipate specialty-specific supply and equipment requirements.
- Assist with ensuring supplies are available, appropriately stored, within expiration dates, and readily accessible for scheduled procedures.
- Communicate supply shortages or equipment concerns promptly to leadership.
Operational & Team Responsibilities
- Support daily ASC operations and assist in maintaining efficient patient flow.
- Collaborate with clinical and administrative team members to ensure surgical cases are prepared and completed efficiently.
- Demonstrate the ability to prioritize competing clinical and operational needs.
- Provide coverage in different areas of the facility based on patient volume, staffing, surgical schedules, and operational needs.
- Participate in staff meetings, education, competency assessments, drills, and quality improvement activities.
- Maintain professional communication with patients, physicians, vendors, coworkers, and leadership.
- Perform other nursing and operational duties within the RN's scope of practice as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- Current, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license in the applicable state.
- Current BLS certification.
- Current ACLS certification.
- Previous perioperative, ambulatory surgery, hospital, or procedural nursing experience preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented clinical environment.
- Strong assessment, clinical judgment, communication, organizational, and prioritization skills.
- Ability and willingness to cross-train and function in multiple areas of an ambulatory surgery center.
- Knowledge of infection prevention and control principles.
- Understanding of quality improvement, patient safety, and clinical performance metrics/KPIs.
- Ability to use electronic medical records and other clinical/scheduling systems.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and comply with HIPAA and applicable privacy requirements.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working in an Ambulatory Surgery Center.
- Experience circulating surgical cases in the Operating Room.
- PACU/recovery nursing experience.
- Experience with pre-operative and post-operative patient calls.
- Experience with surgical scheduling and case coordination.
- Experience working with multiple surgical specialties.
- Experience with quality improvement, infection prevention, or ASC performance initiatives.
- Familiarity with regulatory and accreditation requirements applicable to ambulatory surgery centers.
Core Competencies
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Clinical Excellence: Provides safe, knowledgeable, and patient-centered nursing care.
- Flexibility: Willingly transitions between Pre-Op, OR Circulation, Recovery/PACU, and other assigned responsibilities.
- Teamwork: Works collaboratively with physicians, anesthesia, surgical staff, administrative staff, and leadership.
- Organization: Anticipates case needs and prepares effectively for upcoming surgical procedures.
- Communication: Communicates clearly and professionally with patients and members of the healthcare team.
- Quality & Safety: Actively supports infection prevention, patient safety, quality initiatives, and KPI performance.
- Accountability: Takes ownership of assigned responsibilities and follows through on patient care and operational needs.
- Adaptability: Responds effectively to changes in surgical schedules, patient volume, staffing, and facility priorities.
Work Environment & Schedule
This position is based in an ambulatory surgery center operating primarily during 8:00 AM–5:00 PM business hours. The RN must be willing to work varying hours and/or days when necessary to accommodate surgical schedules, case volume, specialty requirements, staffing needs, and other operational needs.
The position requires the ability to function in a clinical environment that may involve prolonged standing, walking, lifting and repositioning patients, and assisting with the movement of equipment and supplies, consistent with the physical requirements of the role and applicable workplace policies.
Position Expectations
This position is intended for an RN who can function as a versatile member of the ASC team and who is comfortable moving between direct patient care and operational responsibilities. The RN is expected to contribute to the overall success of the surgery center by helping ensure that patients, cases, supplies, documentation, and clinical teams are prepared for each day's surgical schedule.
The ability to anticipate needs, identify issues before they affect the surgical schedule, communicate effectively, and support multiple areas of the facility is essential to success in this role.
Pay: $36.66 - $50.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
Work Location: In person
