Periop 101 Program Questions!

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Hi everyone!

I am starting an OR fellowship at a large Pennsylvania network hospital in November. I feel that some of the program details are still a little vague; the job posting isn’t super thorough, and most of the information I’ve gleaned has come from reviewing other OR fellowship webpage’s that have more information. I was also very focused on my responses during the interview, so afterward my recall wasn’t the best…oops!
Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here can tell me the “typical” format of a 6-month Periop Program!? We will be following AORN’s curriculum, and I take it that one day a week we will be in the classroom. Is the 6-month program typically inclusive of orientation? Also, because I am a new graduate nurse with no floor experience, can you possibly tell me how residency is incorporated into the program? What does residency entail for this kind of position?

I know not every program is the same, but any insight you can provide based on your experience is GREATLY appreciated. 

Thank you so much!

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

These are questions you will need to ask the facility. While Periop 101 consists of standardized modules, even AORN states that facilities should structure as works best for them. 

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Specializes in ICU, Trauma, CCT,Emergency, Flight, OR Nursing.

I did my PeriOp 101 program 18months ago , though I was a nurse with 23yrs experience in ICU, ED and Flight nursing. 

Our course was 3 months long as we were all experienced nurses from other specialties. We would spend some weeks just in the classroom and simulation center and in an empty OR with our lecturers learning the foundations and basics of OR nursing. We had ample time as well to work on our modules during classroom time. We had many guest speakers come in an speak on areas such as hemostatic agents/products , suture. wound closure etc and did visits to other areas of the hospital such as blood bank, lab, pathology, sterile processing etc . Other weeks were spent with our preceptors in the OR actually doing what we had been taught in the classroom which was very beneficial . Also spent time with anesthesiologists , OR techs and OR charge nurses learning about their various roles and our role in relation to them. Spent a fair amount of clinical time learning the scrub role and scrubbing for various cases with a preceptor. We did a review every week of what we had covered . We had a month or two in the clinical area (working as circulators and scrubs) before taking our final exam which helped firm up all we had learned in our class.

Typically if you are a new nurse, you will have a week of Hospital orientation to get all the basic HR stuff completed as well as various compliance online modules  (HIPAA etc)then you will start a residency of sorts with dedicated preceptors . Where I work new grad residency programs usually also include a project (usually research based) for groups of nurses to do related to the specialty that they work in. 

I know you are excited and what to know what your program will look like, but as happened in my case, nothing really happens or gets announced until a week or two before the course starts. I would definitely recommend getting a copy of Alexanders textbook for preoperative nursing and the other one called Operating Room Technique (Berry & Kohn , I think) as these will help you tremendously during your course and growth as an OR nurse. I also bought "Surgical Technology: Principles and Practice" as where I work RN's do a lot of scrubbing for cases and this book covers things nicely.  Best of luck in your new career.

 

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I think I am interviewing for this same program..I am very interested in the opportunity but as an experienced nurse am concerned for a loss of salary...are you able to share what they offered for hourly pay?

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Thank you @Rose_Queenand @RickyRescueRN for your responses, I appreciate it SO much!

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Typically if you are a new nurse, you will have a week of Hospital orientation to get all the basic HR stuff completed as well as various compliance online modules  (HIPAA etc)then you will start a residency of sorts with dedicated preceptors . Where I work new grad residency programs usually also include a project (usually research based) for groups of nurses to do related to the specialty that they work in. 

I know you are excited and what to know what your program will look like, but as happened in my case, nothing really happens or gets announced until a week or two before the course starts. I would definitely recommend getting a copy of Alexanders textbook for preoperative nursing and the other one called Operating Room Technique (Berry & Kohn , I think) as these will help you tremendously during your course and growth as an OR nurse. I also bought "Surgical Technology: Principles and Practice" as where I work RN's do a lot of scrubbing for cases and this book covers things nicely.  Best of luck in your new career.

This was SUPER helpful, @RickyRescueRN ! You are right that I am excited and would like to have more information at hand now, but knowing that in your case nothing was announced until closer to the program start puts me at ease a little. Thank you for painting a picture of what orientation/residency could look like, and for the book recommendation! I will look into it. 

Thank you again!!

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50 minutes ago, Cdprn101 said:

I think I am interviewing for this same program..I am very interested in the opportunity but as an experienced nurse am concerned for a loss of salary...are you able to share what they offered for hourly pay?

OMG no way! I think there’s at least 2 OR fellowship programs in PA that are hiring right now so maybe ours is not the same, but I can tell you that the pay for my program is not good, & very low in comparison to the area of PA where I currently live. I was offered the rate they “start all GNs at” & there was no wiggle room. I too am concerned about the pay & received considerably higher offers elsewhere, but I see this program as a fantastic opportunity for me! 

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On 8/30/2020 at 12:47 PM, RickyRescueRN said:

I know you are excited and what to know what your program will look like, but as happened in my case, nothing really happens or gets announced until a week or two before the course starts. I would definitely recommend getting a copy of Alexanders textbook for preoperative nursing and the other one called Operating Room Technique (Berry & Kohn , I think) as these will help you tremendously during your course and growth as an OR nurse. I also bought "Surgical Technology: Principles and Practice" as where I work RN's do a lot of scrubbing for cases and this book covers things nicely.  Best of luck in your new career.

 

@RickyRescueRN Were those text books you mentioned a recommendation from the periop program or a preceptor? Did you use them in conjunction to the program ?

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Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.
4 minutes ago, MrsMig said:

@RickyRescueRN Were those text books you mentioned a recommendation from the periop program or a preceptor? Did you use them in conjunction to the program ?

Alexanders is actually part of the periop curriculum - the readings for each module are chapters from the textbook. Whether it will be provided by the facility or not is a question to ask the facility. My facility maintains copies that are distributed for the program and collected after for the next group to use.

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5 minutes ago, Rose_Queen said:

Alexanders is actually part of the periop curriculum - the readings for each module are chapters from the textbook. Whether it will be provided by the facility or not is a question to ask the facility. My facility maintains copies that are distributed for the program and collected after for the next group to use.

@Rose_Queen - thank you! I was wondering as I saw they were texts books. I just started training this week in the OR of a small hospital. I have a preceptor and have been told we will start periop soon so I'm trying to get an idea of what's to come so that I may be prepared. I guess I will have to wait and see. 

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Specializes in Trauma hospital/Acute Care/Ambulatory.

Hi MrsMig,

I read your post on 2020 and I am wondering if you have anything related ro the training program to share? Or thoughts related to working with the preceptors?

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Specializes in Trauma hospital/Acute Care/Ambulatory.

Is this one?

Alexander's Care of the Patient in Surgery, 16th Edition

https://evolve.elsevier.com/cs/product/9780323479141?role=student

 

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Specializes in Trauma hospital/Acute Care/Ambulatory.

Hi RickyRescueRN,

Is this one?

Surgical Technology: Principles and Practice - 7th edition

ISBN13: 9780323394734

ISBN10: 0323394736

https://www.textbooks.com/Surgical-Technology-Principles-and-Practice-7th-Edition/9780323394734/Joanna-Kotcher-Fuller.php?CSID=2QOKBWJCJ2U232TADDQTTCSOB

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