Using an Academic-Practice Partnership to Address the Perioperative Nursing Shortage.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Surgical Nursing
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• The persistent nursing shortage negatively impacts perioperative nursing services.
• Limited exposure to perioperative nursing during undergraduate education contributes to a low applicant pool for specialized roles.
• A critical gap exists in preparing nursing students for perioperative careers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the shortage of perioperative nurses.
• To increase nursing students' interest and engagement in the perioperative specialty.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of an academic-practice partnership in enhancing perioperative nursing recruitment.

Main Methods:

• Established a collaborative academic-practice partnership in 2018.
• Developed and implemented an interactive learning program for nursing students.
• Utilized a fully equipped operating room (OR) simulation suite for hands-on experience.

Main Results:

• Participating students reported positive experiences and appreciated OR exposure.
• Students valued direct engagement with perioperative nursing personnel.
• Observed an increase in nurse externship applications and capstone project interest in perioperative settings.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative initiatives between academic institutions and clinical practice sites can effectively boost student interest in perioperative nursing.
• Experiential learning in simulated OR environments enhances student perception of the specialty.
• Strategic partnerships are vital for strengthening the perioperative nursing pipeline.