This past March, my colleagues and I attended the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' (AORN) 54th annual conference in Orlando, Fla. While surveying attendees at the conference, I couldn't help but notice that many of us are, as they say, getting a little "long in the tooth." Current statistics state that 41% of RNs are 50 years or older, with an average age of 47 years.1 More alarmingly, ORs and PACUs have the oldest workforce, with 55% of nurses in these areas planning to retire between 2011 and 2020.2 With these kinds of statistics, it's crucial we be proactive in retention and recruitment for our future replacements in nursing-especially in the perioperative setting.
Lack of support
Recruitment isn't easy in the perioperative setting, as many nursing college curriculums no longer support perioperative nursing as a rotation or elective in their program. Programs that introduce nursing students to this area generally offer this experience as an observation to provide an understanding of the patient's surgical experience. The goal of the observation is not focused on the role of the perioperative nurse, but the information gained is used in caring for patients postoperatively. Moreover, surgical rotation isn't introduced as an option for the student to join in the perioperative workforce. This is different from the experiences the student enjoys in medical-surgical nursing, in which nursing students are taught the skills and concepts necessary to care for a patient in a specific specialty.
Nursing programs that include a perioperative nursing rotation generally devote only 1 day to the perioperative setting. Contributing to the lack of exposure to surgery is the protected environment. The OR suite is behind closed doors, and only those with special privileges may enter. Most perioperative suites are self-contained, and the transparency of the OR to the nursing department is minimal. This leads to a lack of information and inaccurate perception of the role of the perioperative nurse for those not actively involved in surgery.
Share your knowledge
When conducting interviews with potential candidates who express interest in perioperative nursing, I find they usually have no concept of the nurse's role in surgery. What we do is unique, and not all nurses are suited for the OR environment. All too frequently, the candidate begins the position and quickly becomes disillusioned with the role. By explaining the position and the duties it entails in a clear, concise manner, we can better educate our students and help them decide if perioperative nursing fits in with their projected career path.
While institutional recruitment techniques might include salary, benefits, staffing levels, or Magnet status, recruitment at a nursing specialty level isn't as easily defined.
A colleague and I recently worked with an area nursing program and reintroduced the perioperative rotation back into the nursing curriculum. The response from students has been positive. The surgical rotation involves students in the nursing process as it's applied in the surgical setting and promotes perioperative nursing. While introducing perioperative nursing back into the college curriculum provides critical access needed for students, ultimately, it's up to each of us to be ambassadors of our specialty.
Elizabeth M. Thompson, RN, CNOR, MSN, Editor-in-Chief
Nursing Education Specialist, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. [email protected]
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