Expanding an Academic‐Service Partnership to Develop a Summer Perioperative Nursing Practicum for Baccalaureate Students

Abstract

Addressing the increasing shortage of perioperative nurses requires innovative educational strategies. A private university and a teaching hospital with an academic‐service partnership collaborated to offer an educational perioperative nursing experience to baccalaureate nursing students to increase student interest in the perioperative nursing specialty. The university offered an elective summer practicum to baccalaureate nursing students between their junior and senior years. After completing the practicum, students had the opportunity to complete their senior‐year clinical rotations in the OR. Continuous evaluation contributed to refining the design and implementation of the perioperative nursing practicum. The challenges of the program included cost, demands on staff members’ time, and timing of the practicum relative to student and hospital needs. The practicum has been offered for three summers, and a total of six students have enrolled and participated in this program.

The Association for Nursing Professional Development National Preceptor Practice Analysis Study: An Exploration of Precepting in Perioperative Settings

“…Authors have proposed a plethora of ways to address the perioperative nursing shortage in current literature, including the creation of a nine-month perioperative nurse residency program for RNs who were employed in a variety of practice areas at one health care facility. 9 Additional ways include academic-practice partnerships [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] and perioperative simulation experiences 20 for nursing students. Nurse residencies and academic-practice partnerships typically involve preceptors; academic-practice partnerships for nursing students can include the following:…”

“…• a required clinical course, 18 • elective prelicensure perioperative courses with clinical requirements, 10,11,13,14 • internships, 11,15 • practicum placements, 17,19 • a designated clinical practice day, 11 and…”

Perioperative Nurse Recruitment: An OR Placement Program for Fourth‐Year Nursing Students in Ontario

“…Authors have hypothesized that one of the challenges of enticing RNs to work in the OR is the limited exposure to the perioperative environment that nursing students have during their baccalaureate education. 8,9 Lack of exposure to perioperative environments in entry-level baccalaureate nursing education may contribute to decreased interest and awareness of the career opportunities for RNs in the OR. 10 Undergraduate nursing students in Eastern Ontario currently have few to no clinical experiences in the OR; further, if an opportunity to spend time in an OR arises, the student nurse generally focuses on observing surgery rather than understanding the role of the RN in the OR.…”

“…Authors have hypothesized that one of the challenges of enticing RNs to work in the OR is the limited exposure to the perioperative environment that nursing students have during their baccalaureate education 8,9 . Lack of exposure to perioperative environments in entry‐level baccalaureate nursing education may contribute to decreased interest and awareness of the career opportunities for RNs in the OR 10 .…”

“…The role of baccalaureate education in providing opportunities for nursing students to explore the perioperative environment has not been well studied. From the literature reviewed, there appears to be a positive correlation between RNs who choose to pursue a career in the OR and exposure to preceptor‐supported OR placements (ie, hands‐on practice of skills during an intensive placement in the OR environment) and additional preparation via skills laboratories and nursing theory education 9,12,13 …”