Nursing Career

Yes they can, although it's important to stress that it only comes with working in a very specialist role after a lot of training and experience. Look up the role of Surgical Care Practitioner. SCPs are usually employed as a Band 7 or above (equivalent to a senior sister/ ward manager/ nurse practitioner). As an example a cardiothoracic SCP may be involved in vein harvesting, acting as 1st or 2nd assistant to the surgeon as well as pre-op assesments, post-op care and follow ups.

This article will give you an idea on what a surgical care practitioner can do,

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20629396