A perioperative practicum

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Clinical Training
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• Clinical experiences for nursing students are becoming scarce due to reduced entry-level positions and fewer hospital beds.
• Traditional medical-surgical clinical settings are less available for student training.
• Nurse educators require innovative strategies to ensure adequate clinical exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the challenge of limited clinical experiences for nursing students.
• To introduce and describe a novel perioperative practicum model.
• To highlight the integration of home care components within nursing education.

Main Methods:

• The study describes a unique perioperative practicum.
• This experience incorporates a significant home care element.
• The approach aims to provide valuable educational opportunities.

Main Results:

• The described perioperative practicum offers a viable alternative for clinical experience.
• Integration of home care provides diverse patient exposure.
• This model addresses the decreasing availability of traditional clinical sites.

Conclusions:

• Perioperative practicums, especially those with home care components, can effectively supplement traditional clinical experiences.
• Innovative educational strategies are crucial for preparing future nurses.
• This model supports the development of essential nursing competencies in varied healthcare settings.