Roadmap for integrating the AACN essentials with perioperative nursing.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Curriculum Development
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Pre-licensure nursing programs face challenges in securing clinical sites due to healthcare staffing shortages post-COVID-19.
• The American Association of Colleges of Nursing's The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education guides curriculum revision.
• Perioperative nursing offers valuable clinical experiences and competency development for nursing students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a roadmap for nursing faculty to incorporate perioperative nursing into pre-licensure nursing curricula.
• To offer perioperative education exemplars aligned with The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education domains.
• To support nursing faculty in overcoming clinical site limitations by utilizing perioperative environments.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of current nursing education standards, specifically The Essentials.
• Identification of perioperative nursing competencies relevant to pre-licensure education.
• Development of a framework and practical exemplars for integrating perioperative experiences into didactic and simulation courses.

Main Results:

• A structured approach for integrating perioperative nursing into pre-licensure curricula is presented.
• Exemplars demonstrate alignment of perioperative experiences with core nursing competencies.
• The roadmap facilitates faculty adoption, irrespective of prior perioperative experience.

Conclusions:

• Perioperative nursing education is a viable and valuable strategy to enhance pre-licensure nursing curricula.
• This integration addresses clinical placement challenges and enriches student learning experiences.
• The proposed framework supports nursing programs in meeting evolving educational standards and preparing competent graduates.