Information for Surgical Patients
Perioperative Nurses ensure
the surgical experience is safe and effective before, during, and
after surgery.
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) believes that every surgical patient deserves the services of a perioperative registered nurse before, during, and after surgery.
Surgical patients around the world depend on the skills and knowledge of registered nurses who work in the operating room. No matter what language is spoken, the prospect of surgery generates a lot of questions. What happens behind the closed doors of the OR? Who are the people behind those masks? What will they be doing during my surgery?
Before Surgery
Whether you have same-day surgery, in which you go home
the same day to recuperate, or your surgery requires a longer
hospital stay, the perioperative registered nurse is busy with your
surgical care long before you enter the operating room (OR),
assessing your individual needs and planning the nursing care you
will receive before, during, and after your surgery.
In scheduling your procedure, the perioperative registered nurse takes into account the urgency of your surgery, your schedule, the surgical team's schedule, the availability of supplies and equipment, and special tests you may need prior to your procedure. If tests are needed, the perioperative registered nurse schedules them and records the results. The perioperative registered nurse considers these results when planning the care you receive during surgery. If special instruments or equipment are required, the perioperative registered nurse will make sure they are available.
Before your surgery, the perioperative registered nurse explains what you can expect and provides you and your caregivers with information to help you make informed decisions about your follow-up care.
During Surgery
Perioperative nurses care about you and want to do their
very best to ensure that your surgical experience is safe and
effective. The masks and gowns they wear are worn to ensure a
sterile environment, which protects you from infection.
Perioperative nurses are part of a surgical team that usually consists of a surgeon, his or her surgical assistant, an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist, a scrub nurse, and a circulating nurse. Unlicensed assistive personnel, such as surgical technologists, may also assist in your surgical care. Perioperative registered nurses possess the skill and judgment that help make patient care in the OR safe and efficient.
Perioperative registered nurses:
- strive to acquire and maintain current knowledge in nursing practice;
- commit themselves to delivering the high quality of care you expect and deserve;
- hold themselves to a high degree of professional performance;
- evaluate their nursing performance;
- act on behalf of their patients in an ethical manner; and
- work with their patients, patients' caregivers, and other health care providers to plan and deliver care in a safe, efficient, and cost-effective manner.
After Surgery
Once the OR doors close, the unique nature of surgery
requires the perioperative registered nurse to be aware of and to
respond with compassion to your physical and emotional needs. While
you are under anesthesia, the perioperative registered nurse
ensures sterile technique and anticipates the surgical team's needs
to complete your surgery successfully. The perioperative registered
nurse follows AORN's Standards, Recommended Practices, and
Guidelines, a trusted and reliable source of
perioperative practice information.