Its a question Debbie Smith RN, CNOR, and Program Director for Keiser Career College heard from several OR Directors while visiting facilities in South Florida. Recognizing the critical shortage of qualified nurses in the OR, Smith took it upon herself to provide a solution. She understands the transition from the floor to the Operating Room (OR) can be challenging and a drain on the preceptors. Seizing the opportunity she initiated a Peri-operative Program for Registered Nurses at Keiser Career College.
Smith chose this program as it includes training in disinfection/sterilization of equipment/instrumentation including patient safety in the peri-operative setting. Maintaining concise and complete records and reports as well as relevant anatomy, aseptic technique, and peri-operative assessment are covered in this program. In addition, the program is based on the AORN’s Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines.
(l-r) Peri-Operative Nursing students Martine Julmisse, Kristen Ray, and Angela Moore with their Instructor Terry Schmidt.
Several of the hospitals at which Keiser Career College conducted the course have clinical educators who taught similar courses. Unfortunately, due to limited resources and the frenzied schedules clinical educators juggle, they felt it was overwhelming. By conducting an intensive five-day/10-week program that covers all the components of the peri-operative nurse when functioning as a scrub person and as a circulating nurse, Keiser Career College takes on the entire responsibility freeing the clinical educators for other important tasks.
Julia Garcia, VP of Keiser Career College in Miami Lakes maintains, “If your instructors have the expertise and heart, it results in a continued interest in learning for nursing students and faculty.” Thirty-four students have completed the course with Keiser Career College and 18 are currently being taught at hospital sites throughout South Florida.
As a result of their thorough satisfaction with the quality and outcome of the program, the facilities have continually enrolled their RNs immediately upon each program completion. “Your valuable contribution and expertise enhanced our program and gave students the basis necessary to enter the challenging field of Operating Room Nursing,” wrote Donna Attar, RN, MSN, CNS, and CCRN the Clinical Learning Program Coordinator for Baptist Health South Florida. “We are very pleased with the on-site training program we have coordinated with Keiser Career College. And, we continue to look forward to students coming to JFK Medical Center for clinical rotations,” Beverly Lindsay Surgical Services Director for JFK Medical Center.
In order to provide the best peri-operative course available, Keiser Career College requests feedback from students. All nurses who complete the program successfully receive a survey six months after they started the course.
Michelle Knuckle, RN, BSN, and Staff Nurse in the OR at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center wrote, “There were not many OR courses offered when I was inquiring about going to college. Keiser Career College was the only institution at the time offering an AORN Peri-operative Nursing Course. The AORN course was convenient, covered all aspects of the OR and prepared me for entering the workforce. Even before I completed my courses I received job offers from local medical centers. I am happy that I have chosen to work at Aventura Hospital and Medical Center and feel that Keiser Career College gave me that foot in.”
Simply being aware of the current shortage and need for qualified nurses is not enough for this intuition. Debbie Smith has twenty years experience and works diligently to provide quality training and expertise to all who are willing to learn. Smith understands that providing an effective education program to orient new nurses to your OR and advancing knowledge and skills will ultimately result in a decrease of errors in the OR and increase successful surgeries and patients recovery.
