Implementing a baccalaureate perioperative nursing elective

To increase perioperative experience and knowledge, operating room staff members of a southeastern US veterans affairs hospital and the faculty of a nearby college of nursing baccalaureate program developed a perioperative nursing elective. The course included both classroom and clinical experiences. Benefits to students include the ability to transfer knowledge and skills to other clinical settings, increased understanding of the trauma of the surgical experience for the patient, and increased interest in a career in perioperative nursing.