Bridging the Gap from Theory to Practice for New Nurses
By: Aorn Staff
Published: 10/22/2019
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Publish Date: March 13, 2019
Last year more than 230,000 registered nurses passed the NCLEX exam and became ready to practice. AORN believes perioperative nurse residency programs can attract this wealth of new nurses to perioperative care and give them the tools to hit the ground running with a formal transition to perioperative practice.
Only a handful of perioperative nurse residency programs are up and running across the United States. Nursing professor Georgia Dinndorf-Hogenson, PhD, RN, CNOR, chair of AORN’s National Committee on Education, has led an initiative to shape AORN’s first ever position statement on perioperative nurse residency programs.
“Being in academia, our group took a very evidence-based approach to understanding what can make a perioperative nurse residency program work in any setting—whether it’s a large academic institution or small community hospital—to get nurses ready for perioperative practice and retain them in their position,” Dinndorf-Hogenson notes.
Why Residency for Periop Nurses?
“Research indicates that new nurses generally hit a wall around six months into their first nursing role as the pressures of working in a new position accumulate, and it is not uncommon for nurses to leave their position,” Dinndorf-Hogenson explains.
Nursing school curriculums can vary, which means no two programs are exactly alike. Curriculums are designed around the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Essentials of Baccalaureate Education for Professional Nursing Practice and attempt to create professional nurse generalists, she adds. “Application, implementation and analysis can be difficult as novice nurses’ transition into practice. This position statement is not limited to new graduate RNs but includes RNs transitioning into a critical care area or specialty area.”
Even when nurses do have the theoretical knowledge to practice as a registered nurse, she says the care complexities and team dynamics of perioperative care are best learned in a controlled environment with a cohort of nurses who support each other, learn together and stay connected. “Residency programs serve to increase a nurse’s confidence in clinical practice as he or she builds key professional skills such as communication and collaboration.”
What Makes a Strong Perioperative Nurse Residency Program?
Based on the nurse residency literature that Dinndorf-Hogenson and her committee colleagues reviewed, the position statement outlines three recommendations in the proposed statement. Included are recommendations from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2010 report, alignment with the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN)and Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN). Here’s a sneak peek at the recommendations:
Train Preceptors
The role of a preceptor requires a clear understanding of adult learning theory and how adults’ specific skills, such as psychomotor skills, come to them for tasks such as learning how to draw up a medication. Training a preceptor also must include constructive evaluation of learning and other skills that will help them mentor a nurse with the correct approach to constructive feedback that promotes learning.
Use Periop 101: A Core Curriculum
In evaluating existing perioperative nurse residency programs, Periop 101 was the most frequently used curriculum to prepare new nurses for the latest evidence-based practices for key aspects of providing perioperative nursing care.
Give Nurses Enough Time to Prepare
The length of perioperative nurse residency program depends, to some degree, on the setting, Dinndorf-Hogenson notes. A minimum of six months to one year is the typical span found in most existing residency programs, although some extend up to two years.
Additional Resources
Learn more about Periop 101: A Core Curriculum education solutions.
Preceptor Certificate Program Online Course (Members save $50)
Free Resources for Members
