scrub nurse

noun

1. a nurse specially trained to assist surgeons in the operating room and serving as part of the surgically clean medical team handling instruments during an operation.

Word History and Origins

Origin of scrub nurse¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

She worked as a receptionist, went to school to become a scrub nurse and modeled before landing her breakout role in 2006 on the NBC drama “Friday Night Lights.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Bring me the knife,” he told Osorio, his scrub nurse in this musical surgery.

From Los Angeles Times

The trust's theatre matron told the panel hearing that the band 5 theatre scrub nurse had "appeared quite wobbly" on November 28 2017, so she spoke to her in private.

From BBC

Ms. Kilgariff, who was dressed as a scrub nurse, was recounting a gruesome car accident at South by Southwest, where a car plowed into a crowd and killed four.

From New York Times

And to make it even more realistic, could the scrub nurse run back and forth at the foot of the operating table and imitate an ambulance siren moving through traffic?

From New York Times