Theatre nurses provide high standards of skilled care and support during the ‘perioperative’ journey. Perioperative care can be divided into interconnected phases:
- preoperative (pre-assessment)
- anaesthetics
- surgical phase
- recovery phase.

Preoperative phase
Preoperative assessment is fundamental to the patient’s surgery. It ensures that the patient is fully informed about the risks and benefits, and that they are in optimal health for the surgery.

A preoperative assessment visit creates trust and confidence by providing information about the operation and gives patients the chance to ask questions. It reduces the risk of late cancellation by ensuring that all essential resources are available.

Anaesthetic phase
During this phase, the theatre nurse will:
- assist the patient prior to surgery and provide holistic care
- need to communicate and work effectively within a team
- use many clinical skills such as the preparation of a wide range of specialist equipment and drugs. This includes anaesthetic machines,



intravenous equipment and devices to safely secure the patients airway during anaesthesia
- act as an assistant to the anaesthetist

Surgical phase

During this phase theatre nurses will:
- wear a sterile gown, mask and gloves, and prepare all the necessary instruments and equipment for the procedure. This may involve complex machinery including microscopes, lasers and endoscopes
- work alongside the surgeon, providing instruments, needles, swabs and other materials as required, and be able to anticipate their requirements have a role in the promotion of health and safety and be responsible for ensuring that surgical instruments, equipment and swabs are all accounted for throughout the surgical procedure
- sometimes undertake the ‘circulating practitioner’ role, using communication and management skills, preparing the environment and equipment needed for the particular operating theatre list, assisting the scrub nurse and acting as the link between

📌 Operation Theatre Nurse (Mumbra)
🏢 GHC Hospitals
📍 Mumbra