Operating Room Specialist (91D)
- Enlisted
- Active Duty
- Army Reserve
Injured or wounded Soldiers need immediate treatment, so when Army physicians aren’t available, the Operating Room Specialist steps in to provide basic and emergency medical treatment.
The Operating Room Specialist is primarily responsible for assisting the nursing staff in preparing patients and operating rooms for surgery. Some of your other duties as an Operating Room Specialist may include:
- Preparing and maintaining sterile medical supplies
- Preparing and maintaining special equipment for medical treatment facilities
- Providing assistance to medical staff during surgical procedures
- Performing preoperative and postoperative procedures
- Maintaining cleanliness of the operating room
- Setting up sterile fields for surgical procedures
- Examining and treating emergency or battlefield patients
- Interviewing patients and recording their medical histories
- Taking patients’ temperature, pulse, and blood pressure
Training:
Job training for an Operating Room Specialist consists of nine weeks of Basic Training, where you’ll learn basic Soldiering skills, and 19 weeks of Advanced Individual Training. Part of this time is spent in the classroom and part in the field. Some of the skills you learn are:
- Emergency medical treatment
- Basic nursing care
- Study of the human body
- Minor surgical procedures
- Clinical laboratory procedures
- Methods for diagnosing diseases
Helpful Skills:
Helpful attributes include:
- An interest in helping and caring for others
- An ability to communicate effectively
- An ability to work under stressful conditions
- An interest in chemistry, biology, psychology, general science and algebra
- Attention to detail
Advanced Responsibilities:
Advanced level Operating Room Specialists supervise and train other Soldiers within the same discipline. As an advanced level Operating Room Specialist, you may be involved in:
- Preparing doctors and nurses for surgery
- Providing scrub and circulator services
- Setting up and operating specialized operating room equipment
