Perioperative Safety Specialist

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist; Winston-Salem (NC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist is seeking a Perioperative Safety Specialist to lead safety programs across Perioperative and Surgical Services. You will coordinate committees, develop policies, and drive staff education focused on patient outcomes and operational excellence.

Qualifications include a BSN, RN license in North Carolina, and 2–3 years of perioperative nursing. A MSN is preferred, with a mandate for CMLSO certification within one year of hire.

Qualifications

• BSN from an accredited School of Nursing required.
• MSN preferred.
• RN license in North Carolina.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate perioperative safety programs, committees, and initiatives.
• Support goals through meetings, reporting, communication, and policy development.
• Design and implement perioperative safety education for staff and providers.
• Monitor regulatory and professional standards (ANSI, AORN, TJC, CMS).
• Serve as liaison between Surgical Services, leadership, and finance teams.
• Provide operational and educational guidance to staff and leadership.
• Develop quality, safety, and process improvement projects focused on outcomes.
• Collaborate with quality analytics and safety programs to drive improvements.
• Support system-wide adoption of perioperative safety practices.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Data analysis

Education programs

Clinical informatics

MS Office

Education

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) preferred

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

The Perioperative Safety Specialist provides leadership and coordination of important safety programs and areas of influence within Perioperative and Surgical Services shared services and departments across the health system. Manages program activities, education and regulatory compliance related to safety programs. In addition, provides ongoing support or leadership for a number of standing committees within the Surgical Quality Continuum that promote system wide safety standards. Works closely with physician, nursing, and administrative leadership of these committees and programs.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from an accredited School of Nursing required
• At least 2 to 3 years years of perioperative or procedure area nursing experience required
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) preferred
• Current Registered Nurse (RN) license in the state of North Carolina
• Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO) certification required within one year of hire

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate perioperative safety programs, committees, and initiatives.
• Support program goals through meeting facilitation, reporting, communication, and policy development.
• Design and implement evidence-based perioperative safety education programs for staff and providers.
• Monitor compliance with regulatory and professional standards, including ANSI, AORN, The Joint Commission (TJC), and CMS.
• Serve as liaison between Surgical Services, facility leadership, Perioperative Executive Committee, and finance teams.
• Provide operational and educational guidance to Service Coordinators, nursing staff, and leadership.
• Develop and implement quality, safety, and process improvement projects focused on patient outcomes and operational performance.
• Collaborate with quality assessment, analytics, and organizational safety programs to drive improvement initiatives.
• Support system-wide adoption and standardization of perioperative safety practices across the health system.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong leadership, organizational, and project management skills
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building abilities
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and present data to influence practice improvements
• Experience developing and implementing educational programs and process improvements
• Strong clinical informatics and computer skills, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities