Surgical rotations: a must for nursing education

Although more documentation is needed, the belief exists among educators that an all-RN staff in the operating room results in more productivity and quality of care. The professional nurse is seen as invaluable in the OR because of his or her flexibility in meeting the varied requirements of scrubbing and circulating. Registered nurses bring with them a broader range of skills, a lessening of costly supervision, and a decrease in ideologic conflicts about care of the surgical patient. It has been suggested that the RN, despite receiving a higher salary, is far more cost-effective than an aide or technician when compared with such factors as percentage of time ancillary staff actually work (estimated at 65%), the amount of supervision they require, and subsequent overtime frequently asked of RNs in understaffed environments. Professional nursing education should include the opportunity to learn perioperative nursing. I believe professional nurses should staff the surgical suite in both scrub and circulating positions in order to promote cost-effective operating room management and maintain quality patient care.