Scrub nurse jobs

Scrub Nurse jobs: frequently asked questions

(Updated Dec 2024)

Welcome to our Scrub Nurse jobs page, featuring all the latest roles throughout the UK, as well as frequently asked questions below.

What does a Scrub Nurse do?

Scrub Nurses work within hospital operating theatres and recovery units, supporting a surgeon before, during and after surgery.

They work within a perioperative team alongside surgeons, anaesthetists, operating department practitioners and other support staff. Primarily, their role is to hand a surgeon the correct tools as they request them – and to be able to anticipate what they might need next.

Scrub Nurses are also accountable for the clean and sterile condition of any surgical equipment.

They’re sometimes referred to as Theatre Nurses, although Theatre Nurse is more of an umbrella term for a variety of operating theatre-based nursing roles.

In some cases, Scrub Nurses work in different capacities within the same role, so perhaps operate as a Scrub Nurse and Circulator Nurse within the same shift.

What are the daily responsibilities of a Scrub Nurse?

Scrub Nurses typically:

• Report to the Circulator Nurse to prepare the operating room and keep it sterile

• Communicate with the surgeon

• Plan for potential complications

• Constantly maintain sterile equipment and hands

• Remain on-call during every phase of surgery

• Co-ordinate with other team members

What qualifications do you need to become a Scrub Nurse?

To begin with, you need to be registered with the Nursing & Midwifery Council (NMC). And to be eligible to register you need to complete a nursing degree in any of these four core areas: adult, child, mental health and learning disabilities.

Once NMC registered, you can apply directly for scrub nursing or theatre nursing roles without any specific qualifications. However, many Nurses start off in a broader, General Nurse role and end up specialising in theatre nursing further down the line.

How much do Scrub Nurses earn?

Scrub Nurses start at a Band 5 salary, meaning you will earn approximately £29,969 a year currently – rising incrementally every year until you reach the top of your banding. This salary remains the same regardless of your specialist area.

From there, with more experience and qualifications you can move into a Band 6 or 7 role, which will see your pay head towards £45,000 a year and beyond.

To find out exactly what you will earn, use our handy pay calculator.

In the private sector, where pay is unregulated, salaries can be a little higher but they also vary more. It’s worth noting that the work is quite different too. In the NHS, waiting lists mean that workloads are always stretched. Meanwhile, you’ll be less busy in the private sector – and there tend to be fewer emergencies too.

Agency Scrub Nurses are said to earn an average of £40 per hour – which, if maintained across the equivalent of full-time working hours, would equate to a much higher annual salary. However, agency and bank nurses do not have the certainty of a full-time contract – and you’ll need lots of experience and contacts to ensure you have a consistent source of work.

Find your next Scrub Nurse job today

View our latest roles above, or if you can’t find what you’re looking for, create an account and register your CV here and we’ll send you the latest roles as soon as they come up.