Salary: Top paying specialties–perioperative

Ever wonder what the top 10 best paying nursing specialties are?. So far we’ve covered the top 3 – #1: certified RN anesthetists, #2 orthopedics and #3 geriatrics. This week, at number 4, we’re taking a look at perioperative nursing.

Nurses in this field make between $61,000 and $108,000 (high end, which you get by being an advanced practice nurse). It’s the perfect gig for OR nurses who don’t want to deal with anesthesia. Typically, it’s a good idea to have Basic Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support certification.

If you’re a new nurse you may be wondering: What the heck is perioperative nursing? Quite simply, it’s the specialty that works with patients who are about to have operative or other invasive procedures. Perioperative nurses work closely with a range of medical personnel from surgeons, nurse anesthetists, surgical technologists and nurse practitioners. On a typical day you could find yourself performing preoperative, intraoperative or postoperative care.

Are you a perioperative nurse? Share with the Scrubs community what you think about your field in the comments below.