Perioperative Services provides state-of-the-art surgical services within a multidisciplinary team approach as we live our mission of cura personalis, caring for the whole person. Providing patients with the very best care at each stage of the perioperative process, including planning and preparing for surgery, during surgery, and recovering from surgery is the commitment we live each day. Invest with us to ensure the very best outcomes to patients in a dynamic and internationally renowned clinical environment. Join the MedStar Georgetown perioperative Magnet team in one of these clinical areas:
Pre-Surgical Testing
Pre-Surgical Testing nurses and support staff interact with patients prior to their arrival on the day of surgery. The focus in this department is reducing the risks of anesthesia and surgery while educating and preparing the patient for surgery. Pre-Surgical Testing nurses work closely with patients, anesthesia providers, and physician offices to obtain and evaluate patients' health histories, coordinate preoperative testing, and initiate the medical record. A strong multidisciplinary team approach is utilized to benefit patients and improve surgical outcomes. Utilize your planning and critical thinking skills in a unique way to improve the patients' surgical experience! Come meet Nancy Blake, Clinical Manager and Kerstin Magee, Director, Pre & Postoperative Services to talk more about opportunities in this area.
Pediatric Surgery Center
Pediatric patients and their parents arrive on the day of surgery to the Pediatric Surgery Center. Here, the nurse coordinates final pre-operative preparations before the patient enters the operating room (OR). Once the surgery and immediate recovery period are over, the ambulatory pediatric patient returns to the unit. Nurses then provide post-operative care and prepare parents to resume their child's care at home. Nurses in this area work closely with the multidisciplinary team, including OR nurses, anesthesia providers, and surgeons/residents while maintaining a continuous focus on safety and patient advocacy. This is a wonderful unit to utilize your skills to ensure a child's surgery is a pleasant memory! Come meet Nancy Blake, Clinical Manager and Kerstin Magee, Director, Pre & Postoperative Services to talk more about opportunities in this area.
Surgery Center
The Surgery Center provides comprehensive care and is comprised of a preoperative area, a Phase 1 recovery area, and a Phase 2 recovery area. Patients arrive on the day of surgery to the preoperative area, where nurses coordinate final pre-operative preparations before the patient enters the OR. Nurses and support staff in the Phase 1 recovery area provide intensive nursing care to patients awakening from anesthesia in a patient to nurse ratio of 2:1. The focus of nursing care in the Phase 1 area is focused on minimizing pain, maintaining & supporting the patients' respiratory and hemodynamic status, and preventing injury. Finally, patients going home after same-day surgery come to the Phase 2 recovery area, where the nurses provide education and prepare the patient to care for themselves at home. Working in the Surgery Center provides the opportunity to learn all the aspects of perioperative care and utilize these specialized skills to coordinate overall care for your patients in a unique and fulfilling way for both you and your patients! Come meet Debbie Shadle, Clinical Manager and Kerstin Magee, Director, Pre & Postoperative Services to talk more about opportunities in this area.
OR Holding
On the day of surgery, patients arrive to the preoperative area of the Surgery Center. Here, nurses and support staff coordinate final pre-operative preparations before the patient enters the OR. When these final activities are complete, patients enter the OR for their surgery. OR Holding is a 10 bay unit with continuous monitoring capability. The primary focus in OR Holding is maintaining patient safety. A strong multidisciplinary team approach is necessary as nurses, anesthesia providers, and the surgeon/residents work together to ensure the safest possible patient outcomes, so join us if safety is your priority too! Come meet Debbie Shadle, Clinical Manager and Kerstin Magee, Director, Pre & Postoperative Services to talk more about opportunities in this area.
Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
The staff in the16 bay PACU and 10 bay Endoscopy PACU provide Phase 1 intensive care to patients as they awaken from anesthesia in a patient to nurse ratio of 2:1. Nursing care in the PACU's is directed at minimizing pain, maintaining & supporting the patients' respiratory and hemodynamic status, and preventing injury. State-of-the-art surgical techniques and the continual learning available at our academic medical center make the PACU an exciting and challenging place to work. If you enjoy the ICU but prefer a less "intense" environment, then the PACU is for you! Come meet Jane Snyder, Clinical Manager and Kerstin Magee, Director, Pre & Postoperative Services to talk more about opportunities in this area.
Kerstin T. Magee, MSM, RN, CPAN
Director, Pre & Postoperative Services
Operating Room
The Operating Room consists of 23 suites and is staffed 24/7. OR personnel include the registered nurse, surgical technologist, suite attendant, and anesthesia technician. We provide a wide range of surgical services in the following areas: ENT/Ophthalmology, Gynecology/Genitourinary/Pediatrics, General Surgery/Thoracic, Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, Transplant/Vascular surgery and Plastic/Cranial Maxillofacial. Each specialty area is managed by a Clinical Manager who is a registered nurse with strong clinical knowledge in their specialty. The OR surgical schedule is run by the Anesthesiologist in charge and the charge nurse. OR staff training and development is important in our department. The OR Educator orients new staff members, schedules educational programs and manages the Nurse Internship Program. Foremost, the staff is focused on our patient's safety and providing very good care. Maintaining our patient's privacy and dignity is our goal each day. The OR staff is a culturally diverse group and spans the generational milieu. They often celebrate and share their uniqueness. We would like to meet you and have you experience the energy and friendship in the OR. The OR Director, Cheryl Keiller and the Clinical Managers would be very happy to talk to you and introduce you to the Operating Room.
