Abstract
Objective: To report the work potential of nurses in the operating room to minimize postoperative complications. Experience report: Built by nursing students and teachers from practical activities in a Surgical Center of a philanthropic hospital. The results were categorized into: the potential for patient safety is related to the use of instruments such as the Safe Surgery Checklist, while the potential for autonomy lies in the implementation of instruments that provide verbal and written communication for continuity of maintenance, as well as service management. The potential for collaborative work is in the joint action between those involved in the patient's pre-intra and postoperative periods, which allow to minimize postoperative complications. Final considerations: Es evidente, por la experiencia en el área práctica, la importancia del rol del enfermero en el quirófano para minimizar las complicaciones postoperatorias. The non-conformities identified in practice by the students demonstrate weaknesses that must be reorganized to ensure patient safety, development of professional autonomy and collaborative work. However, it is observed that the nurse when determining whether the knowledge and the instruments for evaluating care, reinforce their professional autonomy and collaborative work.