How to become An Endoscopy Nurse

• Gastroenterology Nurse
• GI Nurse

What do Endoscopy Nurses do?

An Endoscopy Nurse would typically need to:

• Assist physicians and surgical teams during endoscopic procedures meant to examine a patient's digestive tract and locate diagnostic evidence
• Work in medical-surgical units, intensive care units, operating rooms, and emergency departments of hospitals and clinics
• Help to screen, diagnose, and treat respiratory and gastroenterological conditions
• Help physicians perform minor procedures, such as dressing changes at the site of surgery, upper and lower GI dilatation, and haemorrhoid banding
• Conduct cancer screenings and assist patients in managing conditions, including ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease
• Manage the cleaning and disinfecting protocols to prepare equipment and areas
• Supervise endoscopy technicians and team members; ensure that they comply with hospital policies, protocols and procedures and safety legislation 
• Transfer patients to the post-anaesthesia care unit and give their report to the nurse on duty
• Ensure that patients receive appropriate post-surgical care in the recovery room according to the physician’s orders until they are stable and their parameters fulfil discharge criteria
• Provide patient care before, during, and after endoscopic procedures; sedate patients and administer medication for pain relief or other issues
• Observe patients and monitor their vital signs, behaviour and any side effects from anaesthesia, medication or sedatives; record and follow any modified care plans
• Facilitate communication between the physician and patient
• Inform patients and caregivers about tests, treatments, aftercare, and recovery; answer any queries they may have and address their concerns
• Lead and mentor newly hired Endoscopy Nurses; facilitate their development of professional competence 
• Liaise with the healthcare team to collect patient history, maintain records and carry out documentation
• Stay on-call to attend to emergencies and complications

Endoscopy Nurses work in fast-paced medical units, intensive care units, and operating rooms. This environment requires attention to detail and being able to deal with anxious patients. The hygiene and sterility of the conditions are critical.

You would have to move as required between the surgical unit, intensive care unit, recovery room and emergency department, as needed, to help with endoscopic procedures and patient care.

Endoscopy Nurses typically work day shifts, 40 hours and 4 to 5 days a week. Depending on your role and assigned duties, you may need to provide pre-surgery preparation and post-procedural care at night, on holidays or during weekends.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Endoscopy Nurses can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting companies directly, using job search platforms, going to job fairs, leveraging social media, and inquiring at staffing agencies. Keep in mind that you would perform diverse clinical and supervisory tasks as required by your particular employment setting. 

Endoscopy Nurses are generally employed by: 

• Public & Private Hospitals
• Clinics
• Clinical Laboratories
• Gastroenterological Speciality Clinics
• Specialised Treatment Units
• Office Practices

Healthcare associations, such as the World Endoscopy Doctors Association (WEDA), provide unparalleled networking and educational opportunities. They offer all the certification courses members will need throughout their professional careers. Affiliated Endoscopy Nurses may attend conventions, seminars, and dinners frequented by peers, mentors, and other industry leaders. The events help them keep up with the newest breakthroughs and latest developments in the field, including plum jobs.

• Working for long hours as procedures can be lengthy and care-intensive
• Having to remain calm while working with anxious patients
• Dealing with concerned family members of the patient while working in life-threatening situations
• Exposure to harmful pathogens that can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea and vomiting
• Emotionally draining and anxiety-provoking work due to the emergencies that must sometimes be dealt with to save lives
• The need to take and follow orders precisely and promptly and communicate effectively with physicians and team members
• Delegating tasks to other medical staff members
• The need to stay updated with the latest endoscopic techniques and tools
• Exposure to the dangers of working with fluoroscopy (an imaging technique that shows a continuous x-ray on a monitor)

Any academic program that a potential Endoscopy Nurse takes up typically requires a period of supervised experience, such as an internship.

To show their commitment to the long qualifying period, every applicant to a medical program needs work experience in their local hospital, doctor's surgery, nursing home, or mental health trust. It will help them understand some of the physical and emotional demands of a career in nursing.

Some teaching hospitals also offer work experience in their nursing departments, specifically for secondary school students interested in a medical degree and a career as an Endoscopy Nurse. It can be a helpful way to gain insights into the field.

Read about the profession, undertake relevant research work and job shadow experts working in Nursing to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers. It helps your job search document any such experiences on letters of recommendation submitted with medical school applications.

Overall, Endoscopy Nurses require one or more years of work experience helping with endoscopy procedures to develop comprehensive and formal knowledge of endoscopic instruments and procedures. Experience helping ENT physicians or other specialists who use endoscopy is valuable in strengthening your observation and attention to detail and practising your patient care skills.

Try to work in customer-facing roles, volunteer at hospitals or assist physicians while completing your degree to foster your interpersonal and communication skills, which will be beneficial in interacting with patients and their caregivers when you begin working in the field.

An Endoscopy Nurse needs a minimum of a high school diploma or equivalent. However, most employers recommend having a two-year associate degree or a four-year bachelor’s degree in nursing or nursing science to acquire knowledge and skills critical to their career.

The degrees typically allow the individual to become a registered nurse, preparing them for the licensure exam. During the associate or bachelor’s degree, students choose to specialise in one area of nursing.

Endoscopy Nurses would do well to acquire specialised knowledge of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases and the skills involved in maintaining endoscopic instruments and equipment. Also recommended are relevant skills and an understanding of the spine, orthopaedics, oncology, vascular medicine, ENT areas, plastic surgeries, ophthalmology and podiatry.

Pursuing a master’s degree is not mandatory, but it can make you more employable and facilitate career progression.

Take high school courses in biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.

Certification demonstrates an Endoscopy Nurse’s competence in a skill set, typically through work experience, training, and passing an examination. When acquired from an objective and reputed organisation, it can help you stand out in a competitive job market, carry a significant salary premium of up to 18 per cent, increase your chances of advancement, and allow you to become an independent consultant. Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

Endoscopy Nurses may obtain certification relevant to gastroenterology, trauma nursing, emergency nursing, family nursing or other related fields.

Typically, you would need to renew your certification periodically.

Individual government entities conduct the licensing process. It typically requires the passage of an examination in addition to the fulfilment of eligibility requirements, such as a minimum level of education, work experience, training, or the completion of an internship, residency, or apprenticeship.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive career progression. Employees with consistently high levels of performance may be eligible for promotion every two to three years.

Endoscopy Nurses may have varied opportunities for advancement in the field, such as taking on supervisory and upper management positions, teaching, and research roles. You may also advance to become a Nursing Director or a Chief Nursing Officer.

Candidates with the necessary skills, experience, master’s degrees or higher academic qualifications, and relevant licences and certifications have the best job prospects.

Continuing professional development (CPD) will help an active Endoscopy Nurse build personal skills and proficiency through work-based learning, a professional activity, formal education, or self-directed learning. It allows you to upskill continually, regardless of your age, job, or level of knowledge.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential in the healthcare sector for public wellbeing and career progression. It embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management, and IT.

You may choose to earn higher academic qualifications, specialise in a particular age group or field, or diversify into related areas.

Reflective learning, interaction with peer groups, comprehensive inclusion, workshops, and professional publications serve to educate, influence, support, and foster lifelong enlightenment in all career-grade Endoscopy Nurses.

What is Endoscopy?

Endoscopy comprises medical procedures that facilitate the direct visualisation of internal body organs and structures. Physicians typically use endoscopy to explore and diagnose gastroenterological and respiratory disorders. Inserting an endoscope (a fibre optic tube attached to a camera) into the bowels allows the physician to see the lining of the intestines. Endoscopy helps physicians arrive at accurate diagnoses and appropriately treat disorders and diseases. Endoscopy may also involve camera insertion into the respiratory tract, other hollow organs (such as the nose and ear), and the oral and anal cavities.

Digestive Tract Disorder

Endoscopy Nurses typically assist physicians in dealing with patients who have upper or lower digestive tract disorders. Food allergies, ulcers and  Crohn’s disease are also part of the group of digestive disorders. Doctors may also focus on colon and rectal cancer, gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, abnormal X-ray findings, and biopsy of the digestive tract. Other areas of work are strictures, removal of foreign entities, and other similar issues that provoke abdominal pain. 

Types of Practice

Endoscopy Nurses may choose to practice solo or in a group practice. They may opt to be employed by healthcare facilities or work with them on an independent contractor basis. They may also choose temporary locum tenens positions offered by practices, hospitals, or healthcare organisations with an unfilled clinical need.

Dress Code

The dress code would vary depending on the kind of job and the medical facility in which you work. By and large, patients prefer their health care providers to wear white coats rather than scrubs or dress clothes. A uniform that is taken care of and fits right, closed-toe shoes, short or secured hair, and subtle and mild scents go a long way in establishing patient confidence.

In capsule endoscopy, patients swallow a capsule containing a tiny wireless camera. The capsule passes through the small intestine, taking images and sending them to a recording device worn by patients.

As an Endoscopy Nurse, you will manage a stream of patients one after another, making an invaluable difference to their wellbeing and safety through your skilled care and compassion. Endoscopy Nurses are instrumental in preparing patients for endoscopic procedures, facilitating their healing process, educating them in self-care, and helping doctors save and improve lives. 

Be confident in your work: many of the patients you deal with will be undergoing anxiety-inducing procedures. Having a caring and professional demeanour can help your patient feel less stressed before, during and after the exam.