Orthopaedic nurse jobs

Orthopaedic Nurse jobs: frequently asked questions

Welcome to our Orthopaedic Nurse jobs page, featuring the very latest orthopaedic nursing roles across the UK, as well as frequently asked questions below.

What is an Orthopaedic Nurse?

Orthopaedic nursing focuses on the prevention and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and subsequent conditions. Common associated issues include arthritis, bone fractures, joint replacements and osteoporosis.

You could work within the NHS or privately, and can operate from a specialist hospital ward or a community clinic.

An Orthopaedic Nurse may sometimes be referred to as a Registered Nurse with orthopaedics skills, as this is a specialised position. Additionally, when employers mention Orthopaedic Nurses they are often specifically looking for an Orthopaedic Scrub Nurse. Like other scrub nurses, this would mean you work alongside surgeons and other surgical staff.

What are the daily duties of an Orthopaedic Nurse?

Your duties may depend on your experience and seniority, but could include:

• Making patient assessments

• Preparing patients for procedures and treatments

• Preparing operating rooms for surgery

• Assisting surgery

• Administering medication

• Monitoring vital signs

• Explaining treatments and working with the families of patients

Orthopaedic nursing is normally a shift-based vocation, which means your hours could include nights, evenings, weekends and holidays.

How do you become an Orthopaedic Nurse?

Broadly speaking, many NHS trusts and private hospitals will advertise orthopaedic nursing roles that don’t require any specialist qualifications beyond a general nursing degree.

They may require some previous experience in orthopaedics, perhaps from during your studies. Equally, they may accept any additional training courses you undertook during your degree or subsequently.

That’s certainly the case at Band 5 level – but beyond this, you’ll need specialist qualifications. A Master’s degree in orthopaedic nursing is the most obvious option, although you could also train to become a specialist orthopaedic practitioner.

How much do Orthopaedic Nurses earn?

It’s difficult to be sure of how much the average Orthopaedic Nurse earns.

That’s mainly because orthopaedic nursing roles and their specific demands vary greatly from one to the next.

As an entry level Orthopaedic Nurse without specialist qualifications you’ll earn a Band 5 salary, which is currently £24,907 a year. This can rise to £30,615 a year with enough experience.

At a more senior level or with specialist qualifications you could hit Band 6 or 7 with salaries ranging from £31,365 to £44,503.

Privately, salaries appear to be very similar.

Overall, it’s probably fair to say that the average Orthopaedic Nurse earns somewhere in the region of £30,000 to £35,000 a year.

In terms of increasing your earnings, your best bet is to keep training and to secure further specialist qualifications and experience. In-demand Orthopaedic Nurses working in busy theatres can easily earn in excess of £40,000 a year.

Find your next Orthopaedic Nurse job today

View our latest roles above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create an account, register your CV here and we’ll send you the latest positions as soon as we get them.