Perioperative Nurse Week 2008

Open House
Hosting an open house for children at your facility is an excellent way to reach out to the community and educate them on the role of perioperative nurses and their involvement in patient safety. 

The ideas below can be used during your open house or you can generate your own creative activities.

• Display age-appropriate machines and instruments and provide demonstrations. Some examples include: 
• Automatic Blood Pressure Machine
• Stethoscopes
• SPO2 Monitors
• Scales
• Cell Saver
• Fracture Table
• Microscope
• Lasers & Electrocautery Units
• Anatomical Models
• C-Arm
• Abdominal or Thoracotomy Instruments
• Open Heart Perfusion Set-Up
• Phaco Emulsifier Unit
• Offer participatory games during the open house such as:
• Picking up a bean with an instrument inside a laparoscopic model
• Hosting a "treasure hunt" for items hidden in the OR
• Offer masks and head coverings to all children
• Ask students to function as a surgical team(s) and have them practice circulating, passing instruments, etc.
• Offer prizes or other items for children who participate in various activities 
• Offer coloring contests for children who attend the open house. Use a picture that has an OR scene with a nurse. Take photographs of the winning entries and their creators and submit them to your hospital and Chapter newsletters.
• Employ an animal character to teach children how to prepare for hospital stays and surgery
• Talk to students about the role of the perioperative nurse and their desire to ensure safe, optimal care of the patient before, during, and after surgery
• Share personal stories of how you became interested in working in the OR
• Use AORN's Media "How-To" Guide and invite the media to attend the open house
• Provide gift bags at the end of the tour. These can include OR caps, booties, a mask, a first-aid kit, colorful pencils, pens, notepads, and informational brochures to take home to explain their OR experience.

Educational Activities
The activities below are just some of the ways you can get involved in your community to promote awareness of Perioperative Nurse Week and the role of perioperative nurses.  

1. Obtain Perioperative Nurse Week proclamations from your city and any surrounding cities*
2. Obtain a Perioperative Nurse Week proclamation from the governor of your state*
3. Contact your legislative representatives, invite them to your OR, and use it as a media opportunity*
4. Write a short article on Perioperative Nurse Week for your local newspaper
5. Publish pictures and stories about perioperative nursing in your hospital newsletter or newspaper
6. Sponsor an “Every Surgical Patient Deserves a Registered Nurse” billboard on a prominent street or highway
7. Participate in a nursing school function as a perioperative nurse
8. Hold a “Tea & Toast” session for the hospital nursing staff and relate positive stories about nursing
9. Host a poster session in the lobby of your hospitals

*Contact your State Council Chair or member of the National Legislative Committee for more information on 1, 2 and 3.