Roles of Operating Room Personnel

by Forest Time

Tens of millions of surgical procedures are performed every year in the United States, from relatively straightforward outpatient surgeries that do not require an overnight stay, to inpatient surgeries requiring a hospital stay of at least one night. Successful surgeries depend on the expertise of several types of operating personnel.


Surgeons perform the actual incisions involved in an operation. In addition, surgeons make the critical decisions involved in directing the course of a procedure. All other operating room personnel answer to the surgeon while a surgery is taking place, and look to the surgeon or surgeons for guidance. Schooling and training for surgeons typically takes at least 11 years, and those who specialize in a certain form of surgery must train for even longer. However, they are well-compensated for their level of expertise; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), surgeons earned an average of $231,550 per year as of 2011.

Anesthesiologists and Nurse Anesthetists

Anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists are in charge of safely administering anesthesia to patients prior to surgery, monitoring them during surgery and making sure that they safely come out of anesthesia after the operation. Anesthesiologists undergo at least 12 years of education and training, and earned an average of $234,950 per year as of 2011. According to the American Nurses Association, nurse anesthetists typically have between seven and eight years of education and training, and earned an average of $154,221 per year as of 2008.

Surgical Technicians

Surgical technicians perform a variety of duties in an operating room. A circulating technician brings the patient to the operating room, ties the surgical gowns of surgeons and other personnel, delivers needed additional supplies such as instruments and medicine, and documents the surgery. Scrub technicians sterilize instruments before and after the surgery, keep the surgical field organized during surgery, and provide the surgeon with needed instruments. Surgical technicians typically hold a postsecondary certification or associate degree, and made an average of $42,460 a year as of 2011.

Registered Nurses

Registered nurses sometimes perform the duties typically associated with surgical technicians, including acting as circulating nurses and scrub nurses. In addition, a nurse sometimes acts as the first assistant to the surgeon. The first assistant may expose parts of the patient's body by using clamps, and may also be called upon to stitch up the patient. Registered nurses usually have an associate or bachelor's degree. According to the BLS, their average salary was $69,110 as of 2011.

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