AORN's response to the nursing shortage in perioperative settings

Why Work in Perioperative Nursing? Baby Boomers and Generation Xers Tell All

“…6,7 Recommendations to address the nursing shortage, however, have been based on data that fail to consider the basis of nurses' choice of specialty career within the nursing profession or nurses' perception of work, which is influenced by the generation in which they were born. 6,7 Recommendations to address the nursing shortage, however, have been based on data that fail to consider the basis of nurses' choice of specialty career within the nursing profession or nurses' perception of work, which is influenced by the generation in which they were born.…”

Addressing the Nursing Shortage: The Need for Nurse Residency Programs

“…In the OR, some reasons for the nursing shortage are unique and some mirror national trends. For instance, ORs also face the challenge of an aging work force and an increase in nurses ready to retire 8‐10 . Unique challenges include lack of perioperative education and clinical experiences in nursing school curricula, nurses leaving acute care main ORs to work in ambulatory care centers, and the difficulty of attracting and maintaining qualified perioperative nurses 8,9 …”

“…For instance, ORs also face the challenge of an aging work force and an increase in nurses ready to retire 8‐10 . Unique challenges include lack of perioperative education and clinical experiences in nursing school curricula, nurses leaving acute care main ORs to work in ambulatory care centers, and the difficulty of attracting and maintaining qualified perioperative nurses 8,9 The nursing shortage in the OR is further complicated by a limited pool of experienced perioperative nurses from which to hire and the ever‐changing technological advances that create a very demanding work environment 9 …”

“…In 1999, AORN developed a fully integrated curriculum to assist in the education and transition of nurses entering the OR for the first time 8 . In 2007, the modules moved from an instructor‐led face‐to‐face curriculum to an online curriculum titled Periop 101: A Core Curriculum ™ 20 .…”

“…[8][9][10] Unique challenges include n lack of perioperative education and clinical experiences in nursing school curricula, n nurses leaving acute care main ORs to work in ambulatory care centers, and n the difficulty of attracting and maintaining qualified perioperative nurses. 8,9 The nursing shortage in the OR is further complicated by a limited pool of experienced perioperative nurses from which to hire and the ever-changing technological advances that create a very demanding work environment. 9 Operating rooms are additionally affected by nursing shortages because of the one-to five-year developmental cycle of a perioperative nurse.…”