Join Our Surgical Team at UPMC Presbyterian!
UPMC Presbyterian is seeking a dedicated Full-Time Registered Nurse - OR Surgical Specialist to join our high-performing Operating Room team. This daylight shift position runs Monday through Friday and includes on-call responsibilities. As a Surgical Specialist, you'll bring advanced expertise in the OR environment and equipment, stepping into charge nurse duties and leading the OR service line when needed.
What sets our department apart? Exceptional teamwork. You'll be part of a collaborative, supportive group that values clinical excellence and mutual respect-making every shift both impactful and rewarding.
The OR Surgical Specialist is a Registered Nurse who plays a critical role in complex surgical procedures. As a member of the care delivery team, this nurse collaborates with physicians, healthcare providers, patients, and families to achieve optimal outcomes across the continuum of care.
Responsibilities Clinical Leadership & Expertise
+ Serves as a unit leader in clinical practice, education, evidence-based care, or as a specialized resource.
+ Provides constructive feedback and participates in peer review and specialty team performance.
+ Promotes quality improvement and leads change initiatives to enhance patient care and the work environment.
+ Demonstrates advanced clinical assessment and decision-making within Relationship-Based Care.
Governance & Collaboration
+ Actively participates in unit-level shared governance and hospital-wide councils.
+ Identifies opportunities for clinical quality, cost management, and workplace improvements.
+ Applies evidence-based practice and leads innovation teams for patient care and workforce wellness.
Professionalism & Mentorship
+ Builds strong relationships and fosters a healthy workplace culture.
+ Models cultural awareness and addresses horizontal violence and impairment.
+ Balances work-life priorities through effective delegation.
+ Enthusiastically mentors students, new hires, and graduate nurses.
+ Promotes continuous learning through presentations, journal clubs, and sharing research.
Patient Care & Communication
+ Uses the nursing process to create a healing environment.
+ Communicates effectively across care teams and advocates for patient care changes.
+ Maintains comprehensive documentation to support care continuity.
+ Applies critical thinking to address clinical, social, psychological, and spiritual needs.
+ Aligns daily work with organizational goals for safety, quality, and patient satisfaction.
OR Specialty & Equipment Oversight
+ Leads one or more surgical specialty teams based on volume and equipment complexity.
+ Ensures availability of vendor trays, implants, and approved products.
+ Prevents use of non-approved items and reports violations.
+ Manages vendor access and participates in the Value Analysis Team (VAT).
+ Educates staff on specialty equipment and updates.
+ Trains and evaluates new and core service line staff.
+ Coordinates supply ordering and maintains par levels with Supply Chain Management.
+ Keeps preference cards current.
+ Acts as charge nurse and manages service line operations in clinician's absence.
Additional Duties
+ Performs scrub role (required for RNs hired after July 1, 2023).
+ Serves on at least one department or hospital committee.
+ Understands and supports department fiscal responsibilities.
Strategic & Educational Contributions
+ Participates in decisions regarding surgical equipment, instruments, and supplies.
+ Collaborates on surgical budget planning.
+ Organizes and optimizes personnel and material use.
+ Develops and delivers continuing education programs.
+ 4+ years of nursing experience
+ BSN preferred (Master's in Nursing or DNP accepted; if BSN is held, a Master's in a related field may substitute for certification)
+ Completion of an annual professional contribution aligned with department/hospital/system goals (approved by Unit Director)
Certification (must be obtained within 1 year of hire/transfer):
+ UPMC-approved nursing certificationOR
+ Certification from the UPMC Wolff Learning Academy Center for Nursing ExcellenceOR
+ Master's in Nursing or DNP
Skills & Abilities:
+ Strong clinical judgment, critical thinking, and problem-solving
+ Ability to lead others in applying the nursing process
+ Effective communication and relationship-building across all levels of staff and with patients/families
+ Adaptability in complex environments with shifting priorities
+ Physical stamina for frequent walking, standing, lifting, and patient positioning
Licensure & Certifications:
+ Current RN license in the facility's state or a multistate license under the Nursing Licensure Compact (NLC)
+ Basic Life Support (BLS) or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification (AHA-compliant, with didactic and skills demo within 30 days of hire)
+ Act 34 clearance
Note: Employees relocating to the facility's state must obtain state licensure within 60 days of residency change.
UPMC is an Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran