Navy
MEDICAL
Subspecialty
Officer Subspecialty
1950
Perioperative Nursing
An officer subspecialty earned alongside a primary designator, marking advanced education or experience in this field.
Description
Perioperative nursing supports patients and surgical teams before, during, and after operative procedures. The specialty includes sterile technique, instrument management, surgical safety checks, intraoperative monitoring, and postoperative recovery.
Core Skills
- preoperative patient assessment
- sterile field management
- surgical instrument handling
- operating room safety checks
- intraoperative patient monitoring
- surgical supply management
- post anesthesia recovery
- surgical team coordination
- infection prevention
Common Certifications
- Registered Nurse (RN) License
- Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
- Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA)
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Provider
- Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA)
- Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN)
Civilian Career Paths
- NURSING
- SURGICAL TECHNOLOGY
- CLINICAL TECHNICIAN
Training & Development
Getting Started
- Registered Nurse (RN) License
- Basic Life Support (BLS) Provider
- Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) Provider
- Periop 101 Course
Career Growth
- Certified Perioperative Nurse (CNOR)
- Certified Ambulatory Perianesthesia Nurse (CAPA)
- Certified Post Anesthesia Nurse (CPAN)
- Certified Surgical First Assistant (CSFA)
Equivalent Roles in Other Branches
Data sourced from official Navy publications and public military occupational references. Descriptions may be summarized for clarity. Verify all information with your branch career counselor or official military documentation before making career decisions.