NUR 2020 University of Maryland Clinical Experience Paper

Prince George’s Community College

Department of Nursing

Perioperative Observational Experience Guidelines and Assignment

A. Purpose: Exposure to perioperative nursing in prelicensure education is critical. There is a shortage of 

perioperative nurses and 64% of the perioperative nursing workforce is expected to retire by 2022. By providing nursing students the education and opportunity to experience perioperative nursing, we are opening the doors for the next generation of perioperative nurses (Ball, Kay et al. 2015)

System involvementsis a 5-credit course designed to assist students in the theoretical and 

practical application of the nursing process to meet the health care needs of clients with 

complex, chronic disorders with multisystem involvement and rehabilitation needs.  Physiologic 

and psychosocial adaptation, prevention and early detection, and self-care will be emphasized, 

with a focus on outcome management and synthesis of information.  Pharmacological concepts 

will be integrated throughout the course content. Clinical experience will be provided in a variety 

of supervised healthcare settings.

C. Credit Hour Statements:  At Prince George’s Community College, for all credit courses, students are expected to spend a minimum of 37.5 hours of combined instructional time and related coursework time per credit hour.  This course is a 5-credit course.  This course achieves the minimum required hours by 15 weeks (2.5 class/6 clinical hours/1.5 lab hours).

D. Class Dates: Lecture: every Wednesdays 1/26/2022 – 5/16/2022 Except for holidays. Skills Lab & ClinicalPractice Varies with groups

E Student Learning outcome:

The students should be directed to focus on the six QSEN competencies below during their observational 

experience. The QSEN competencies are described in each nursing course study guide/syllabus and 

aligned with the course competency outcomes and clinical outcomes throughout the Study Guide.

Patient-Centered Care: 

· Examine the safety and quality measures used in the perioperative environment. 

· Identify the different participants in the care of the patient throughout the perioperative process, including family members, preoperative nurses, surgical team members, postoperative nurses, and possibly case managers, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, etc. 

Teamwork and Collaboration: 

· Acknowledge the interprofessional team members in the perioperative environment. 

· Describe the different roles of the perioperative staff members and how each affects the safety and quality of patient care. 

Evidence-Based Practice (EBP): 

· Base individualized care plans for the patient in surgery based on the procedure and the patient’s medical and surgical history. 

· Describe nursing EBP in the perioperative environment. 

Quality Improvement: 

· Identify any discrepancies between best practices and what is actually practiced. 

· Identify roadblocks to achieving best practices. 

Safety: 

· Identify the patient safety practices used during hand offs between the preoperative nurse, intraoperative nurse, and postoperative nurse. 

· Describe patient safety practices in the intraoperative environment and who is responsible for implementing the practices (eg, consents, positioning, fire safety, counting, time outs). 

· Identify safety practices in the intraoperative environment for members of the surgical team (eg, sharps safety, eye protection, laser safety). 

Informatics: 

· Describe technology used in the perioperative environment. 

· Identify differences in the electronic health records in the intraoperative setting versus the medical/surgical floor. 

F. Observational Experience Guidelines and Assignments:

1. Preparation: Read Chapter 15, page 418-456 in your Med-Surg text by BRUNNER to review the Care of the Intraoperative Patient

2. Review: fundamentals of Nursing text book Chapter 30, page 935-981 in Taylor, Lynn & Bartlett.

to master the following terminologies

Perioperative Nursing, 

Scrub nurse, 

Circulating nurse, 

Conscious sedation, 

General anesthesia, 

Local anesthesia, and Other medications

Informed consent, 

Compression device

Stockings 

Malignant hyperthermia

Principles of 

asepsis

· Principles of oxygen administration

· Principles of cardiovascular, respiratory, and neurological assessment

· Pharmacology of opioids, antiemetics, and analgesics

· Defining characteristics of the following nursing diagnoses:

a. Risk for constipation

b. Risk for infection

c. Acute urinary   

retention

3. Watch the following you tube intitle what is perioperative nursing “”

4. Complete ATI custom assessment assignmentin titled, “Perioperative Quiz” prior to Perioperative Observationand achieve 80% or greater

G. Students expectations during the observational experience:

1. Report to the clinical faculty by 6:45 a.m. dressed in your PGCC uniform with valid identification, and you will be taken to your appointed location. 

2. Review the above information so that you may be able to relate staff roles and responsibilities.

3. Become familiar with the vocabulary used in the Perioperative Area

4. Become familiar with the medications used during surgical procedures.

5. If possible review the patient’s history and physical information to gain an understanding of the patient preparation and actual procedure methodology.

6. EAT BREAKFAST! An empty stomach added to standing for long periods, plus anxiety, equals nausea and dizziness and potential syncope.

7. Ask questions and pay attention! Most of the physicians, the nurses, the surgical technicians, and the Nurse Anesthetist love to teach and they will often ask you questions!

8. Students are expected to be at the Surgery unit desk by 6:30am and will be assigned to an OR. The student will wait with the patient and will follow that patient to the OR. They will then go to PACU (if time permits). Depending on the surgery assigned, the student may or may not be in the OR for the entire 5 hours; they follow the patient through the Perioperative process.

9. If the student is absent it will be counted as a clinical absence, and may result in disciplinary action

H. Written assignment:

a.  Write out your experience of your Perioperative rotation relative to the above 6 objectives.

b. Using APA format, place in a double-spaced word document.