A perioperative nurse works in a hospital or doctor's office setting, and is responsible for general patient care before, during and after the patient undergoes surgery. He or she must be a registered nurse (RN) who also has special training in an operating room setting. Typical responsibilities include discussing after-care of wound with the patient, working with the patient's family for long-term care solutions, in-operating room assistance with instruments and other items, and emergency response.
Being a specialty, most perioperative nursing courses require that the student be a practicing RN, or have their Bachelor of Science in Nursing or Master of Science in Nursing degree prior to enrollment. Perioperative nursing courses are usually in the form of certificates or post-graduate fellowships. Enrollment in these courses is small and competitive, so most successful candidates also have clinical or hospital experience, as well as strong recommendations from their supervisors.
Perioperative nursing courses teach students how to be successful in an operating room. Most courses cover items such as scrubbing and circulating in an operating room, aiding a surgical team of doctors and nurses, identifying the pre- and post-surgical needs of patients, and describing and understanding situations in which surgical intervention is necessary. This curriculum is designed to give an overview of the basics of perioperative care through classroom instruction as well as hands-on experience.
Most, if not all, perioperative certificate courses require some clinical experience before graduation. As working in an operating room is fast-paced and high-stress at time, a successful candidate must be able to work calmly under pressure. Clinical experience, such as observed operating room scrubbing, ensures that graduates are fully prepared for the demands of perioperative care. The format of this clinical experience can range from one full day a week, to several weeks of intensive examinations, to several months-long internships.
Some courses in perioperative nursing will offer even further specialization beyond operating room experience. For example, the Mayo Clinic's Perioperative Nursing Internship in Jacksonville, Florida offers students the ability to train in specialized surgical facilities like solid-organ transplant units, neurosurgery units, and advanced cardio units. These courses are often more intensive than others, but they prepare students in a specialty that is in high demand.