Perioperative Nurse Week is celebrated every year in the second week of November, from November 10 to 16 this year. It is an important week celebrating the achievements and contributions of perioperative nurses to the medical field. These nurses handle patient care before, during, and after surgical procedures and are irreplaceable.
History of Perioperative Nurse Week
The House of Delegates of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses decided in 1979 that one day of the year should be set aside for perioperative nurses. This day would be to celebrate and spread awareness about the work and contributions of these nurses among the general public.
The day selected was 14 November. Over time, the single day became a week-long celebration of the dedication and hard work put in by all the perioperative nurses across the country.
Perioperative nurses handle the care of patients who need surgery or other invasive procedures. They interact with everyone involved, the patients, their families, the doctors, and other medical personnel involved to ensure their patient’s comfort.
Inside an operating room, perioperative nurses would work as scrub nurses in charge of the instruments, or as circulating nurses, who ensure the quality of nursing care throughout the procedure.
Pre and post-surgery, they are the nurses who ensure that the patients have all the information they need to continue healing and have the best possible care in the hospital. The job is frequently stressful, but nurses perform their duties cheerfully.
Perioperative nurses are the primary advocates of patient care, with a more hands-on approach than doctors can manage. As these nurses are present for the procedure from end to end, they stay aware of everything the patient needs and ensure they get the attention they need.
Because of the nature of their profession, perioperative nurses are excellent problem solvers and key factors that ensure their patients successfully recover.
Perioperative Nurse Week timeline
AORN is established to form a community for nurses working in the operating room.
The House of Delegates of the AORN passes a day to appreciate perioperative nurses.
The AORN decides that the work done by perioperative nurses needs a week of discussion.
Is the opportunity to further spread information about the work of nurses in the O.R.
Perioperative Nurse Week FAQs
What is Perioperative Nurses Week?
This is a week dedicated to celebrating the work and commitment of perioperative nurses.
What does a perioperative nurse do?
Perioperative nurses work with doctors and surgeons to ensure that patients are prepped for surgery, have a smooth experience in the O.R., and heal well after their procedure.
How do you become a perioperative nurse?
Nurses need their B.Sc. in Nursing, be licensed, work full time for a minimum of two years, and have 2,400 hours of experience in perioperative nursing. Of this, 1,200 hours must be in the operative room for nurses to become certified perioperative nurses.
How To Observe Perioperative Nurse Week?
Organize a competition in your local hospital
You can use the competition as a way to spread information among your community about the work of perioperative nurses.
Host a lunch to thank O.R. nurses
Be sure to work around their very busy schedules! A free meal will go a long way towards showing your appreciation to the perioperative nurses in your community.
Circulate informative pamphlets
Take information from the AORN and put it on well-designed pamphlets and spread them around. This way you can help support the point of Perioperative Nurse Week, which is to share information about the work that perioperative nurses do.
5 Important Facts About Perioperative Nursing You Should Know
There’s a film about them
“Behind the Mask,” the film goes into the high-stakes work taken up by perioperative nurses.
There are a lot of perioperative nurses
The AORN records over 43,000 professionals who are part of the community of O.R. nurses.
There’s an organization offering O.R. information
The subsidiary is the AORN Syntegrity Solution, which documents the best praxis by nurses.
Perioperative nursing needs special certification
This certificate program is in addition to the standard qualifications of a B.Sc. and licensing.
Well educated nurses affect patient mortality
The better educated the nurses are, it is likely patients will recover without complications.
Why We Observe Perioperative Nurse Week
We don’t know enough about O.R. nurses
Perioperative nursing is a highly specialized field, where nurses do an incredible amount of work. It is important to acknowledge this work and the dedication of the nurses.
Nurses work with everyone
Apart from patients, their families, and their healthcare providers, nurses also work with lawyers to ensure the best of patient care.
We always need more nurses
As people live longer, more complicated lives, nurses are essential figures in the healthcare field, advocating for their patients and providing life-saving care.
Perioperative Nurse Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | November 13 | Sunday |
| 2023 | November 12 | Sunday |
| 2024 | November 10 | Sunday |
| 2025 | November 9 | Sunday |
| 2026 | November 8 | Sunday |
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