
Jonathan Horn gives us a comprehensive look at Orthopaedic Nursing. From the job description itself, to what you can expect from a day on the job, this article contains all the information you need to know.
Topics covered in this article
What Does An Orthopaedic Nurse Do?
How Does Orthopaedic Nursing Work?
Why Is Orthopaedic Nursing Important?
What Kind Of Symptoms Do Orthopaedic Nurses Treat
What Are The Main Duties Of An Orthopaedic Nurse?
Where Does The Orthopaedic Nurse Fit In The Process Of Patient Care?
What Are The Kinds Of Different Settings And Places Of Work Orthopaedic Nurses Work In?
What Are The Typical Orthopaedic Roles In The NHS?
What Are The Career Opportunities In Orthopaedic Nursing?
A Day In The Life Of An Orthopaedic Nurse
Introduction
An Orthopaedic Nurse is someone who generally cares for those with musculoskeletal diseases, bone, or limb injuries.
However, as Orthopaedics is often run parallel to trauma, it is not uncommon for Orthopaedic Nurses to look after head injuries or infected wounds.
About this contributor
Registered Adult Nurse
I qualified as an Adult nurse in September 2018 and took a job to work as a Trauma & Orthopaedic Nurse in the East of England. In August 2020 I left this role and went to the private sector briefly, but this did not work out. I am now currently working for NHS Professionals as a Registered Nurse in the East of England gaining experience around different specialties but can often be found on the Orthopaedic wards.
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Log In Subscribe to commentSuzanne Loveridge
Suzanne Loveridge
3 years agoI qualified as a registered nurse in 1981, I staffed on a DGH trauma/elective orthopaedic surgery ward in Kings Lynn. ... read more
I qualified as a registered nurse in 1981, I staffed on a DGH trauma/elective orthopaedic surgery ward in Kings Lynn. My Nursing Officer wanted me to move on and develop skills to improve my career. After 5 interviews in Orthopaedic Specialist hospitals in Exeter, Stanmore, Oswestry, Newcastle and Edinburgh, I finally settled to do to my ONC over a year at Princess Margaret Rose Hospital, Fairmile Head , Edinburgh Where I spent weeks at a time learning how to care on wards dedicated to different joints, Hip and Knee , Spine, Hands and Feet, Rheumatology, Rehabilitation , Children 0-5 and 6-17 and a module at the Royal Infirmary on the Trauma wards. Plaster room, Theatre or OPD. A very well rounded training with many skills learned to take away to the General Hospital I would leave for. I later worked at a Hospital in Chertsey where I found it very archaic, until they pioneered the ilizarov frame system and New consultants brought new ideas that improved care and reduced patient length of stays. By this time all nurses were coming from a university training and the hospital looked to set up an orthopaedic course for staff. In comparison the experience they gained was less than basic, reliant on the disciplines of the Consultants employed by the trust. By this time many complex cases would be transferred to specially trauma or spinal units and the skills I was taught were never going to be learned. As was said in the article a wide range of nursing skills from medicine and general surgery are needed, but many lacking through poor allocation during general training. Orthopaedics being seen as the caveman of specialities compared to the 'sexy' ITU A&E nursing Orthopaedics is and will always the broadest of specialities requiring so much knowledge to care for the elderly and young alike. It was never popular because the population required 'lifting' and ruined many a nurses back, a friend called Orthopaedics 'Surgical geriatrics' while we may have had our fair share of elderly patients not a fair description . It is a shame that HCAs are doing more of the basic nursing and Registered nurses knowledge of the importance of the skills needed are diluting. I am proud to have had a 37 year long career in orthopaedics without a back injury! I was however very sad to see the skills I learned, ignored by staff who neglected my mother after a compound fracture started her decline to a painful and undignified death . Denied the care I was so passionate about giving. The passion that has been replaced in so many by apathy . High tech skills and gadgets replacing basic skills and time to achieve a goal. I am at a point now where I fear a serious orthopaedic injury following the uninspiring care for a knee and foot injury at my local hospital, when I am telling the SHO in A&E what I needed
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