MEMBERS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Nancy Blasko, RN, MA, CNOR

Sharing a passion for knowledge

From the front line of perioperative education, Nancy Blasko, RN, MA, CNOR, is able to see the value of education on a daily basis.

Blasko leads the OR nursing fellowship program for the Inova Learning Network, the educational arm for the Inova Health System in Virginia. The fellowship program she leads offers a blend of didactic, clinical and online education to nurses working at the facility who seek specialty education.

Working in the OR for more than 30 years, Blasko says perioperative education can often be left to on-the-job training, which requires good mentors and preceptors to be successful. While she was fortunate to have been mentored by strong, knowledgeable leaders, she said not all perioperative nurses are so lucky. That's why she made the decision to become a perioperative educator.

"Human resources are any healthcare facility's most valuable asset, so existing staff should be well educated," Blasko stressed. "If you don't have that commitment to education, you don't have a staff that grows and is knowledgeable in current, evidence-based practice that is necessary to provide safe, quality care for patients."

She said standardized perioperative education programs, such as AORN's Periop 101: A Core Curriculum™, level the playing field because they allow everyone to get the correct information, which is especially important with the constant advances in research, evidence-based practice and technology.

"The beauty of our specialty is that you come to work to learn something new every day. Even after 30 years I am still learning. You have to constantly strive to learn and be open to new technologies and you have to share your passion for this knowledge with others."

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