Historically, OR managers promoted from within the staff, and tenure and stability were significant criteria in selecting candidates for promotion. Eventually, advanced education became part of the criteria for promotion. In the 1970s, management recruiters began looking for master's prepared nurses to fill top echelon positions, but by the 1980s a master's degree became common criteria for many management positions. Today, it is not enough to have OR experience or a specific degree. Recruiters and personnel directors are looking for nurses who have appropriate experience, advanced education, and management potential.
All nurses have opportunities to nurture their careers and to develop themselves professionally.
The traditional operating room work setting offers a rich and varied pool of opportunities from which perioperative nurses can select strategies to enhance their marketability. It is never too soon to start thinking about where you might like to be someday, and what you might like to be doing when you get there. The point is that once the wish or goal is identified by the individual, it then becomes clear that there is no reason to wait. Things happen through careful planning and self-development, not through wishing. Think about the position you want to have at the pinnacle of your career, and then consider what is necessary for that role.