The orientation process. Strategies to ensure success

The companion article by Erika Britton, RN, offers the learner's view of the orientation process. As perioperative nursing becomes more complicated, the orientation process should become more sophisticated to address the issues of recruitment, retention, and mastery of skills. Traditional teaching methods may not always meet the needs of perioperative nurses. As one author stated: If nurses really want to see nursing achieve professional status, each of us--educators, administrators, and practitioners--must reexamine our interactions with novice nurses. We have to stop eating our young. These newly prepared nurses are the profession's future. If they are not nurtured as they develop, professional extinction beckons. Our young are not only the new graduate nurses but any nurse from novice to expert who needs to be oriented. We must recognize their needs and plan effectively for their orientation.