3 Reasons Surgical Nurses Should Embrace the Perioperative Title

In 1999, during her presidency with AORN, Ruth Plotkin Shumaker, MS, BSN, RN, CNOR, led a pivotal change: renaming the organization from the Association of Operating Room Nurses to the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. This bold move wasn’t just about a name—it was about aligning the identity of perioperative nursing with the full scope of surgical care.

Why the change? Ruth saw the need for nurses’ titles to reflect the comprehensive work they do—from guiding patients before surgery to ensuring safe recoveries afterward. The term “operating room nurse” didn’t fully capture the profession’s breadth and depth.

In her 40+ years in perioperative nursing, leadership and consulting, she’s witnessed firsthand how each step in a patient’s surgical care involves countless interactions with nurses that lead to safe surgery and positive outcomes. Beyond this, she’s seen how a collective understanding of perioperative nurses’ role also fosters personal growth and team cohesion - ultimately benefitting the patient.

Yet, many nurses working in perioperative care still call themselves OR nurses, and she’s concerned this diminishes the perception of the full scope of their work.

Shifting a Mindset to Advance Periop Nursing Practice

There are currently more than 539,000 perioperative nurses in the US and she wants them to articulate their vital contributions to clinical practice by using the Perioperative RN title. “Our role will never be understood until we share and identify our practice. I’ve said countless times, I have never nursed an operating room a day of my life. It’s always been patients.”

To inspire this shift in title and thinking, she shares three reasons why calling yourself a “Perioperative RN” elevates the profession:

1. Your Role as a Perioperative Nurse Reaches Beyond the OR for Your Patients

Opportunities for perioperative nurses have grown significantly over time. And our influence has expanded from working solely in the OR to addressing patient needs wherever surgical and other invasive procedures are performed.

2. Your Title Helps Other Medical Professionals Know What You Do

Too often, those less familiar with the broad scope of perioperative nursing may assume your care is confined to the OR space. Referring to yourself as a perioperative nurse highlights the wide range of skills you bring to patient care each day, from nursing assessments and interpersonal communication to critical thinking, decision-making, and technical expertise that ensure high-quality outcomes. The title you choose conveys the comprehensive nature of your role, fostering stronger collaboration and understanding among colleagues across care specialties.

3. Your Broader Scope Helps You Grow as a Perioperative Professional

Broadening your perspective on your practice can help to open opportunities for professional development across the scope of perioperative practice. If you work in the OR but are interested in areas like preoperative patient optimization or post-surgery recovery, adopting a title that reflects this broader scope of care may inspire new ideas and opportunities to advance your career.

Tips to Make the Title Change Stick

To help shift this change to the Perioperative RN title, Shumaker suggests these tips:

• Tip #1: Acknowledge the emotions tied to the title change. For nurses who work directly in the operating room, this shift can feel personal. Emphasize the distinction that the change to "perioperative" reflects what you do—not just where you work.
• Tip #2: Make sure management is supporting the name change in practical ways such as organizational communications and email signatures.
• Tip #3: Make sure to share why it’s important: “A shift in how we identify ourselves will nurture the next generation of nurses to embrace our full role and identify themselves as perioperative nurses.”

Don’t miss Shumaker’s presentation on “Are you a Perioperative or Operating Room Nurse?” at AORN Global Surgical Conference and Expo 2025, April 5-8, in Boston, MA. Register today.