How to Become a Surgical Nurse
Surgical nursing is a specialty where nurses make a difference in their patients’ lives throughout life-changing procedures. From performing heart transplants to removing deadly cancers, surgeons at the center of these operations rely on these nurses to help ensure that the operating room is sterile and to educate patients about recovery best practices.
Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) who are interested in becoming surgical nurses can pursue an LPN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program to learn practical skills in nurse leadership while gaining the foundational knowledge to succeed as a registered nurse (RN).
What Does a Surgical Nurse Do?
Surgical or perioperative nurses are RNs who work in operating rooms, providing care to patients before, during, or after surgery. These nurses perform duties that encompass the entire perioperative experience.
Their responsibilities can include conducting patient assessments before surgery, selecting and passing instruments to surgeons, operating as circulation nurses to manage overall nursing care, and developing patients’ postsurgical plans of care.
Other duties surgical nurses perform include:
Working with patients before surgery to complete paperwork and answer questions
Assessing patients’ conditions during and after surgery
Consulting and collaborating with doctors, clinical nurse leaders, and other healthcare professionals
Cleaning surgical equipment and operating rooms to ensure a sterile environment
Educating patients and family members on postoperative care, including pain management and keeping wounds clean
Surgical nurses may also assist with discharge planning, which requires arrangements for home health; necessary equipment needs; and other postoperative needs, such as medication. Some may spend a majority of their shift in the operating room, surveying the surgical field to ensure that equipment is sterile, passing instruments or sutures to surgeons, or opening supplies as needed.
The daily routines of surgical nurses can vary depending on their patients and responsibilities. Many surgical nurses work 12-hour shifts.
Where Do Surgical Nurses Work?
Surgical nurses can work in various environments, including hospital operating rooms, inpatient and outpatient clinics, and surgical centers. Perioperative nurses may also work in patients’ homes and nursing homes to assist patients with postoperative care.
Surgical and perioperative nurses should also have essential soft skills such as multitasking, problem-solving, and communication with patients with different care needs.
Steps to Become a Surgical Nurse
Becoming a surgical nurse takes time, additional education, and nursing experience. However, the rewards are great for professionals who enjoy working with teams in dynamic, fast-paced environments.
Step 1: Pursue a Nursing Degree
Earning an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a BSN gives nurses the required skills and knowledge to become RNs. Flexible online programs allow nurse professionals, such as LPNs, to earn BSN degrees while working.
Earning a bachelor’s degree can also improve employment prospects for future nurses. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), employers often prefer graduates with a bachelor’s degree for their advanced skills in health promotion, leadership, and case management.
Step 2: Become a Registered Nurse
Nursing professionals must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) exam to become licensed as RNs. Many BSN programs prepare students for the NCLEX exam through coursework on test topics such as health promotion and risk reduction.
Step 3: Gain Nursing Experience
Becoming a surgical nurse typically requires clinical experience as an RN. Many nurses start on hospital units or join a perioperative training program for nurses new to the operating room. Along the way, they can gain foundational knowledge and skills, such as attention to detail, stress management, and conflict resolution, that prepare them for more advanced roles in the operating room.
Step 4: Consider Certification
Earning certification can set nurses apart as perioperative experts and increase their earning potential. The Competency & Credentialing Institute (CCI) offers the Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR) credential for RNs who work in perioperative settings.
While not mandatory, CNOR certification demonstrates advanced clinical knowledge and the skills to advance in the field as leaders. To be eligible, nurses need a current RN license and at least two years and 2,400 hours of perioperative experience, with at least 1,200 of those hours in the intraoperative setting.
Surgical nursing is different from medical-surgical nursing, a separate specialty focused on caring for adult patients on hospital units. Medical-surgical nurses can pursue certifications such as the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses’ Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN) and the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Medical-Surgical Nursing (MEDSURG-BC).
Surgical Nurse Salary and Job Outlook
Registered nurses earned a median annual salary of $97,550 as of May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS reports that the job outlook for RNs, including surgical nurses, is positive, with positions projected to grow 6% between 2025 and 2035, faster than the average for all occupations. Around 180,800 openings are expected for RNs each year over the decade.
Advance Your Nursing Career With Wilson College
For working nurses who are ready to advance their careers, Wilson College Online’s LPN to BSN program offers a flexible approach to earning a BSN at your pace without putting your career on hold. Practicing LPNs can apply their LPN credits toward a bachelor’s degree, reducing time and expense compared with a traditional BSN pathway. Earning a BSN degree can give you the skills and experience to pursue roles such as a certified surgical nurse, nurse manager, RN, or nurse educator.
Find out how Wilson College Online can help you advance your clinical skills and your career prospects.
Recommended Readings
How Long Is an LPN to BSN Program?
Different Types of Nursing Degrees and Salaries
Essential Tech Skills in Nursing
Sources:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Nursing Workforce Fact Sheet
Competency & Credentialing Institute, CNOR
Cross Country Healthcare, How to Become a Surgical Nurse: Your Step-by-Step Guide 2025
Johnson & Johnson, Medical-Surgical Nurse
O-Net OnLine, Certification: Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse (CMSRN)
O-Net OnLine, Certification: Medical-Surgical Nursing (MEDSURG-BC)
Springer Publishing, The Ins and Outs of Being a Certified Medical-Surgical Nurse
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Registered Nurses
Van Nuys Behavioral Health Hospital, A Day in the Life of Medical-Surgical Nurse Rina
Washington State Nurses Association, “Nursing Perspective: Life as an OR Nurse”
