Innovative Programs Promoting Careers in OR Nursing

Much of the baby boomer workforce is approaching retirement, and nurses who are part of this generation will need to be replaced. The strain is especially notable in the perioperative nursing environment. To assist in recruiting new perioperative nurses, three programs were introduced at a rural academic medical center. Leaders at this facility developed a perioperative nursing course to train new graduate nurses and nurses without OR experience, an introduction to perioperative nursing course for junior and senior undergraduate nursing students, and an intraoperative learning experience for high school students interested in a career in nursing. These three programs provide an opportunity to expose new nurses, nursing students, and high school students to an OR nursing career path. The programs and their successful outcomes are shared as exemplars for enhancing the education of new OR nurses and generating interest in OR nursing as a career path.