Tell me about your PeriOP 101 Program

[RickyRescueRN, BSN, RN]

Myself and several other nurses have just started (2 weeks ago) our PeriOP 101 program . All of us come from other areas of nursing and have anything from 2-3yrs to 22yrs experience as nurses. We were wondering if those of you who have taken this course (been a periop 101 student) could detail how your days were set up; whether you received formal lectures ; how much of the day was spent "doing online modules" and basically what your course consisted of. This is our hospital's first periop 101 course and so both our instructors and , us ourselves would like input on how others have experienced their courses. What do you think are the strong points or the course , versus the challenges . What did you find was lacking , that you needed extra input/ teaching on. How were your modules correlated to your clinical experiences and lectures (if you got any) . Would love to hear your take on the course.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Our facility has done some trial and error, as well as taking input from previous classes and preceptors. Originally, we set up the periop101 to run for 12 weeks; we now have it for 8 (the exam is taken in week 9). One day per week is dedicated to completing modules, reading assignments, videos, and guest speakers. Another half day is dedicated to the skills lab portion. Our goal is to minimize the time spent outside the clinical area while ensuring an adequate time period to complete the course. Our last class almost requested we drop to 6 weeks as they were progressing through the modules very quickly- we chose not to honor that as a class or 2 felt the 8 week schedule was too short. 8 weeks seems to work for the majority of our students with a few outliers on the longer end or shorter end.

We have, as part of the orientation packet that is separate from the periop101 course, a circulating skills checklist. It is divided up based on the modules, and we ask them to focus on the tasks associated with the modules assigned for that week.

Orientation itself is 5-6 months, depending on which building each orientee is assigned to (only 1 of the 3 is trauma and as such has additional orientation time).

I do know that the biggest challenge is that AORN does require completion of the online modules, regardless of whether or not that matches with how someone learns. Many of ours are more "hands on" learners than readers, but can adapt to the format. Others do have trouble adapting to the format, but we work with them and their supervisor if they need additional time beyond the 8 hours scheduled.

[RN1.618, BSN, RN]

I will be starting the periop 101 in a few weeks for a large level I trauma center. and i was told by my hiring manager that one day per week is dedicated to the didactic (classroom) portion of the program. The other four days of the week are spent in the OR with an assigned preceptor. We do this for 6 months and even that is followed by an orientation period that may last 5-10 weeks. I am a recent graduate with no other RN experience and it is my understanding that even the experienced take the same classes with us. Which Im looking forward to. It will be interesting to get different perspectives on the material that is taught. I hope that offers some insight. Im also curious to hear other responses on this topic.

[Polly Peptide, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

I am starting a Periop 101 program now. Ours is 7 weeks long with a total orientation time of 5 months. We spend Mondays in the classroom doing AORN modules, skills lab, and have guest speakers. Tues-Fri is spent in the OR with our preceptors. During this time, we rotate through all of the specialties. At the end of 7 weeks, we take the exam and are then placed within a specialty.

Following this, we train in our actual specialties, growing more independent, until the end of approximately 20 weeks.