Trenton Harms never dreamed that his high school job as a lifeguard would ultimately lead him down a career path toward perioperative nursing. His lifeguard experience motivated Trenton to become an emergency medical technician (EMT) after high school with the goal of becoming a firefighter.
“As an EMT, I was exposed to some of the different medical careers and decided that nursing was a better fit for me,” Trenton says. “I wanted a career where my interactions with people were more than emergent and where I could talk to patients and be there for them when they are at their most vulnerable.”
Once he earned a BSN degree from West Coast University, Trenton says he “got lucky” when a surgery center hired him as a circulating nurse, even though they didn’t usually hire recent nursing school graduates.
“They (MemorialCare Surgery Center in Laguna Woods, Calif.) had never hired a new grad before,” Trenton says, “but they taught me everything about the OR because you don’t learn much about this in nursing school. They trained me up and I’m very grateful for that.”
After working at MemorialCare Surgery Center for two years, Trenton wanted to be a part of inpatient care and work on more complex cases. He went to work at UCI Health-Orange as a clinical nurse II in 2018, working primarily in cardiac surgery. Although cardiac is his primary service, Trenton often transitions between cases, including neurology and trauma. He adapts quickly to diverse team needs while maintaining a commitment to patient safety and high-quality care.
A couple of years ago, Trenton volunteered for a project to improve OR workflow and efficiency. “The success of any surgery is often dependent on how readily available equipment and supplies can be at any given moment,” Trenton explains. “Especially small, minutiae kinds of things you don’t open for every case. Delays are often caused by OR nurses trying to get the things they need in the middle of surgery.”
Trenton put his strong organizational skills to work to help make sure the equipment and supplies needed would be easily accessible and those that aren’t often needed were put aside. “This is the kind of thing I really enjoy doing,” he says.
As one of the leads on the cardiac team, Trenton was also involved in developing a new curriculum for training cardiac nurses and scrub techs.
As a member of the Millennial generation, Trenton stays on top of the latest surgical technologies. “The medical field is evolving quickly with all the new technology and surgery is evolving even faster,” he says. “We’re now doing surgeries that have never been done before and this will continue to accelerate with robotics and minimally invasive surgeries.”
Trenton believes perioperative nurses should play an active role in how new technologies are integrated into the OR.
“We’re trying to integrate a bunch of new products at the same time and still make sure they are being used correctly and are safe for the patient,” he says. “I think OR nurses should provide feedback to manufacturers about what works well and what doesn’t necessarily fit into the workflow of the OR.”
One thing that has surprised Trenton about his job as a perioperative nurse is that it’s more of a procedural job than a clinical job.
“This can be kind of a culture shock for new OR nurses because in nursing school, we are taught clinical skills,” he says. “In the OR, it’s more about coordinating procedures, which isn’t something that’s really taught in nursing school. New OR nurses need to be prepared for this.”
Outside of work, Trenton is a husband and father to an 18-month-old baby boy named Bennett, which puts his time management and work-life balance skills to the test. His wife, Kate, is a registered dietitian.
“It can be challenging, for sure, both emotionally and physically,” he says. “The key for my wife and me is having a good support system at home so we can focus on our jobs while we’re at work. This gives me more appreciation for the time I get to spend with my son.”
Trenton is appreciative of the fact that, for the most part, he can leave work behind when he clocks out and be fully present at home with his wife and son. “My dad and my brother both run their own businesses so they can’t really do this,” he says.
Trenton and his family spend as much time outdoors as possible, enjoying hiking, camping and bike riding. He is also an avid video game and board game player – yes, old-school board games where he and his friends actually get together physically, not online.
“There are virtual boardgames, but I prefer playing with my friends in person,” he says.
Professional Spotlight Nomination
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