Operating Room Nurse Ophthalmic

Mercy Ships is an international charity that brings hope and healing to the world’s forgotten poor through state-of-the-art hospital ships. Since 1978, our volunteer crew—made up of medical professionals and skilled workers from over 60 nations—has delivered free surgeries and medical care to over 2.8 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, transforming lives one patient and one port at a time. Join our global team of over 3,000 volunteers and help us change lives daily.

About this role

The Operating Room Nurse – Ophthalmic, cares for scheduled ophthalmic surgical patients coming from the Day Surgery Unit to the operating room, going through the intraoperative phase of their hospital stay. The Operating Room Nurse – Ophthalmic will be expected to circulate, scrub, possibly assist the surgeon at times and maintain accurate written operating room documentation.

May provide education and training for partner country participants, trainees, and students in Mercy Ships training programs while providing clinical care.

What you will contribute

• Use Universal Precautions at all times
• Document nursing care and patient condition accurately and completely in nursing notes
• Assist in setting up and performing in cases by assembly of equipment and supplies according to physician preferences, updating lists as needed
• Assist in setting up and performing in cases by opening of sterile pack, instruments and supplies, according to sterile technique
• Prepares sterile field including, all countable items documenting these on patient records
• Provide a surgically clean environment for patient care
• Ensures the sterility of supplies and instrumentation used during operative procedures
• Performs counts as per Mercy Ships policy
• May participate in Mercy Ships training programs, functioning as an educator/preceptor for local healthcare providers and students
• Acts as Scrub Nurse, assistant to Surgeon or Circulating Nurse as directed, maintaining integrity of sterile field
• Maintain a safe environment for the patient, preparing patient for surgery, positioning patient in appropriate position, and moving patient to and from operating table
• Demonstrate understanding and use of principles of asepsis in all duties
• Assist in clean-up of operating room following surgery, including proper disposal of used supplies and sharps, cleaning and decontamination of instruments and equipment in operating room
• Assist the OR Nurse Ophthalmic Team Leader in training of new staff
• Ensure safety of equipment during sails
• Attend and participate in all hospital devotions, meetings and functions as required

For This Role, You Will Need

• Supportive of Mercy Ships mission and vision, and committed to its core values
• Commitments 12 months or longer require successful completion of Mercy Ships On Boarding program
• Current active license as a Registered Nurse (or its International Equivalent, each registered nurse equivalent will be evaluated according to their individual training and scope of practice) with the ability to both scrub and circulate is required
• Recent OR experience of at least two years full time or three years part time AND at the point of application can show working 30 hours or more per week in an OR setting within the past 12 months
• Requirements for Ophthalmic Operating Room Nurses who do not have scrubbing experience:
• Acquire 6 months scrubbing experience with minimum 150 scrubbed cases.
• Current Basic Life Support certification is required; ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and PALS (Pediatric Advanced Life Support) are optional
• Understand and apply servant leadership, work collaboratively with integrity and demonstrate accountability
• Able to live in and contribute to community life, requiring stable and healthy interpersonal skills
• Willingness to teach and share clinical knowledge with others
• Written and oral fluency in English is required
• Requires flexibility and sensitivity to language & cultural diversity
• Knowledge of Operating Room Ophthalmic procedures, standards and equipment

The experience of a lifetime is calling.

More than 1,200 volunteers from over 60 nations serve with Mercy Ships each year.

At Mercy Ships, we are proud to be recognized around the world for the life-changing surgeries and training we deliver. We could not achieve this without our dedicated community of talented volunteers.

Imagine finishing your shift and stepping onto deck as the sun sets—knowing that today you’ve helped transform the lives of those who need it most. Apply now to start a journey that will reshape the lives of those you serve — and your own.