Professional Nurse - Speciality Scrub

We are seeking a suitably qualified and experienced Professional Nurse – Speciality Scrub to join a theatre team based in Johannesburg.

The successful candidate will play a key role in delivering high-quality perioperative nursing care, ensuring the effective preparation of theatre equipment and instruments, maintaining sterile technique throughout procedures, and supporting positive patient outcomes in line with professional and institutional standards.

Key Responsibilities:

Preoperative Preparation

• Collaborate with the surgical team to prepare theatre equipment and anaesthetic machines according to the planned procedure
• Verify the availability and sterility of surgical instruments, packs, and consumables
• Prepare patients for surgery, ensuring correct identification, surgical site verification, and completion of pre-operative checks

Intraoperative Responsibilities

• Function independently as a scrub nurse during a variety of surgical procedures
• Maintain a sterile field and ensure strict adherence to aseptic technique
• Anticipate the needs of the surgeon and theatre team to support efficient workflow
• Perform instrument, swab, and needle counts in accordance with hospital policy
• Monitor the patient condition and surgical field during procedures

Postoperative Support

• Assist with wound closure preparation, dressings, and disposal of medical waste
• Ensure safe patient transfer to recovery with accurate handover to the recovery nurse
• Decontaminate and prepare instruments for sterilisation after procedures

Quality, Risk & Compliance

• Comply with infection prevention, occupational health and safety, and hospital quality standards
• Participate in incident reporting, audits, and root cause analysis processes
• Maintain accurate nursing records in line with legal and professional requirements

Professional Development & Team Support

• Participate in continuous professional development and required training
• Mentor junior staff and support orientation and skills development within the theatre environment
• Contribute to departmental meetings, case reviews, and quality improvement initiatives

Minimum Qualifications & Experience:

• Degree or Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery
• Post-Basic Qualification in Operating Theatre Nursing Science
• Current registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) as a Professional Nurse and Operating Theatre Nurse
• Minimum 3–9 years’ experience in a theatre environment
• Proven ability to function independently in the scrub role
• Strong knowledge of infection prevention, aseptic technique, and theatre protocols
• Excellent communication, teamwork, clinical judgement, and documentation skills

Advantageous:

• Experience across multiple surgical disciplines including General Surgery, Orthopaedics, ENT, Paediatric Surgery, Cardiovascular, and Neurosurgery
• Basic Life Support (BLS) certification
• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification
• Experience mentoring junior staff and contributing to quality improvement initiatives

If you meet the above requirements, and have the relevant experience, please apply by submitting your CV.