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Subsidiary roles

There are number of subsidiary roles that either provide services to or within perioperative settings or conduct interventional procedures that require the same environment as an operating room, e.g. cardiac catheter laboratories and medical imaging units where angiography is performed. Details of some of these roles are given below.

For details of nursing roles visit our Nursing roles page.

For details of advanced practice perioperative nursing roles visit our Advanced nursing roles page.

To learn more about perioperative nursing visit our Perioperative careers and Perioperative nursing pages. 

The Central Sterile Services/Supply Department (CSSD) is the department responsible for decontaminating, sterilising, cleaning, packaging and supplying re-usable instruments and equipment used in the operating suite and other hospital departments. They are integral to the day-to-day operation of operating rooms and anaesthetic/recovery areas and provision of safe, high quality care to patients. 

The CSSD is overseen by a manager and staffed by people who have an interest in learning about different instrumentation, equipment and the safe processing and delivery of supplies to the operating suite and hospital. They work closely with instrument and circulating nurses on prioritising equipment according to perioperative needs.

Medical Device Representatives come from diverse backgrounds including nursing, bioscience, science, marketing and sales.

Nurses who have worked in the perioperative environment will develop knowledge and expertise in a particular area and can diversify to work in the medical trade industry as sales representatives and technical experts for specific instruments and equipment. This involves providing education to surgeons and nurses and can also involve providing technical support within the operating room during an operative procedure.

Both orderlies and technicians work in the operating suite to support the perioperative staff.  Orderlies are responsible for cleaning and maintaining the clinical environment and transporting patients, beds and trolleys. Technicians are responsible for preparing, cleaning and maintaining an operating room and its equipment, including the operating table, positioning devices and equipment used to support the operative procedure.