How do you find candidates who aren't even looking?

Most of the directors we place aren't looking. We know who they are because we've been talking to them for years. When your seat opens, we don't post it on a job board and hope — we pick up the phone and call the three or four people who fit, and see who's ready to move.

What credentials should I expect from the candidates you send?

It depends on the seat. A Director of Surgical Services typically holds a BSN with CNOR behind their name. OR Managers and PACU leaders carry CNOR or CPAN. Surgical Techs hold CST. We also look at what they've actually done — robotic programs they've stood up, turnover minutes they've cut, satisfaction numbers they've moved. The credential gets them in the room. The track record is what we ask about.

Why not just use our internal HR team or a generalist agency?

Your internal team recruits for surgical leadership once every few years and starts from scratch each time. A generalist recruiter is juggling IT, finance, and nursing roles in the same week — they can't tell you the difference between a CNOR and a CST. We run six to twelve surgical searches at any given time. That's all we do, so we know the market, the going rates, and who's open to a move.

How fast can you actually get someone in front of us?

The Director of Surgery market is one of the most competitive in healthcare right now — strong leaders are rarely sitting idle, and the ones who are open to a move get picked up fast. We don't promise a specific timeline because every search is different, but we don't start from zero. We already know who fits your OR volume, trauma level, and case mix, so Day 1 is spent reaching out, not building a list. From there, how quickly someone lands in front of you depends on the market, the candidate's situation, and how fast your team can move on interviews.

Do candidates pay anything to work with you?

No. The hiring hospital or health system covers the fee. Candidates submit a resume and book a confidential call at no cost. We represent the candidate to the employer — they never pay us.

What's the difference between permanent and interim placement?

Permanent placement is a direct-hire search for a long-term leadership role — your next Director of Surgical Services. Interim is a short-term fix: an experienced leader who steps in for a leave, a gap, or while you run a permanent search. We handle both, for hospital ORs and ambulatory surgery centers.

Who leads Surgical Nurse Recruiter?

Surgical Nurse Recruiter is led by Chris Monroe, Founder & CEO. The firm is a division of The Clinical Recruiter, based in Franklin, Tennessee, serving hospitals, health systems, and ambulatory surgery centers across the United States.

Career Development

Chris Monroe 2026-01-15

From Circulating Nurse to Director of Surgical Services: The Leadership Journey

Founder & CEO, The Clinical Recruiter

I started in healthcare at 19 years old, working in hospital food service while attending Respiratory Therapy school. Over the next 23 years, I moved through Ancillary Development, Managed Care, and eventually found myself sitting in the CEO chair at 42. That journey taught me something most recruiters never understand: the operating room is the operational and financial backbone of a hospital. It is where clinical care meets revenue reality.

The transition from the OR floor to leadership is not about learning new clinical skills. It is about learning to think in systems. As a circulating nurse, you optimize for one patient at a time. As a Director of Surgical Services, you optimize for an entire facility's throughput, surgeon engagement, and regulatory compliance simultaneously. That shift in perspective is what separates competent perioperative nurses from transformative leaders.

The CNOR certification matters because it signals mastery of perioperative practice — sterile technique, patient safety, OR efficiency, and AORN standards. But the certification alone does not make a leader. What makes a leader is the ability to walk into a morning huddle, identify the three cases at risk of a late start, and mobilize the team to close the gap before the first incision. Every. Single. Day.

If you are an OR nurse thinking about your next move, my advice is simple: start thinking like a Director before you have the title. Volunteer to lead timeout compliance. Track your room's turnover performance. Build a first-case on-time start dashboard. When you can speak the language of CFOs — OR utilization, turnover time, robotic ROI, block efficiency — you are ready for the next step. And when you are ready, we should talk.

Chris Monroe

Founder & CEO, The Clinical Recruiter

Former hospital CEO with 23 years of healthcare leadership experience, from food service worker to the executive suite. Chris founded The Clinical Recruiter to connect hospitals with surgical and perioperative leaders who understand the financial weight of every OR turn-time.

Optimizing OR Throughput to Reduce Case Cancellations and Delays

Ready to Talk Strategy?

Whether you are hiring or exploring your next role, we should talk.

Hire a Leader Submit Your Resume