If you have ever been able to watch any of those syndicated episodes of MASH, you most probably have some idea about what roles do nurses play during an operation or a surgical process. MASH is a television program, and though it may have that classical feel of a television show, it does show how vital it is for the nurses to be present in any operation. A common misconception is that nurses do nothing more than just passing instruments during a surgery. As a matter of fact, nurses do much more than that. In a surgery, it is the duty of the surgical nurses to make sure that the patient suffers minimum complications from the surgery, and thus remains in a stable state throughout the surgery.

Professionals of surgical nursing ideally help the surgeon and his or her team during a surgery. In reality, the roles of surgical nurses go much beyond than being just a part of the surgical team. Their roles depend upon the type of surgery that has to be performed. Since these nurses are part of the surgeon's operating team, it is them who spend most of the time with the patient before the surgery. Hence, they should be very familiar with the patient's history so that they may address any unique demands that may pop up during the surgery.

To execute their duties in a proper fashion, the surgical nurses need to have a combination of clinical and personal skills. The nurses have to answer all the questions that a patient might have regarding the surgery.

In addition to that, it becomes the responsibility of the surgical nurses to trouble shoot any queries that the patient's family has about the surgery. They also ensure that the patient is comfortable with all the procedures that will be performed on him or her. In short, the surgical nurses prepare the patient for the coming ordeal, both mentally and physically. It is because of these functions that the best nurses are very empathetic and posses a very high degree of intuition.

During the surgery, the surgical nurses very keenly observe every detail. Surgical nurses are required to be very attentive, have excellent observational skills and react quickly. Since the patient is unable to convey any distress during the surgery, it becomes the nurse's job to pick up any subtle signs of discomfort and report that to the surgical team immediately. Sometimes, even some minor changes in the vital signs can lead to various complications. Surgical nurses are especially trained to pick and interpret any of these signs.

At this time, most of the surgical nurses are traditionally working in hospitals. However, with the way health care is being promoted, it is possible that very soon clinics as well as emergency rooms will be qualified to perform surgical practices. This will allow these specially trained surgical nurses to broaden their professional horizons. Surgical nursing can be labeled as a demanding profession, since even the smallest decision that is made in an operation theater can lead to completely different results.