Perioperative Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice
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AORN's standards and scope of practice for nurses is a critical tool for determining the responsibilities of registered nurses who serve in perioperative settings.
The Standards of Practice, Standards of Professional Performance, and accompanying competencies, Perioperative Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice 2021 build on:
- Code of Ethics for Nurses with Interpretive Statements (American Nurses Association; 2015)
- Nursing’s Social Policy Statement: The Essence of the Profession (American Nurses Association; 2010)
- Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, 4th edition (American Nurses Association; 2021)
This 2021 edition provides a mechanism to delineate the responsibilities of RNs engaged in practice in the perioperative setting. These nursing standards serve as the basis for quality monitoring and evaluation systems; databases; regulatory systems; the development and evaluation of service delivery systems and organizational structures; certification activities; job descriptions and performance appraisals; agency policies, procedures, and protocols; and educational offerings for lifelong learning activities.
