Contact Hours: 16

Pre-Requisite: Registered Nurse

Course Description:

This is a two-day instructor-led course delivered at your facility to educate labor and delivery room nurses in the latest AORN Standards and Recommended Practices in perioperative nursing. The implementation of this course will assist your facility in lowering infection rates and improve physician satisfaction in your OB suites by educating your labor and delivery room nurses. This course delivers similar content offered in our Perioperative course but custom tailored for an OB suite. The course is based on AORN’s Standards and Recommended Practices and is designed to create awareness for your labor and delivery nurses in their role as circulator/scrub nurse in the OR, which in turn, facilitates improved patient safety.

Clinical Experience:

  • Student will demonstrate proper technique of a surgical hand scrub
  • Student will demonstrate proper donning of gown & gloves
  • Student will demonstrate gowning & gloving others
  • Student will demonstrate basic back table/mayo stand setup
  • Student will demonstrate proper surgical skin prep
  • Student will demonstrate recommended practice for performing counts of sponges and instruments
  • Student will demonstrate principles of surgical draping
  • Student will demonstrate and recall the basic processes necessary for sterilization

Course Objectives:

  • Describe components of the role of the perinatal nurse when functioning as a circulating nurse during a surgical procedure
  • Discuss the process of disinfection/sterilization of equipment/instrumentation
  • Describe safety concerns in the perioperative setting
  • Describe patient care needs in the perioperative setting
  • Describe components of the role of the scrub person during a surgical procedure

Course Methodology:

  • Lecture
  • Discussion
  • Collaborative Learning
  • Audiovisual
  • Guided instruction

Course Outline:

Learning Objectives:

Day 1:

  • Define the assessment component of perioperative nursing
  • Identify the Joint commission goals for patient safety
  • Identify surgical attire
  • Discuss positioning safety
  • Name safety issues associated with patient transfers
  • Identify procedures & responsibilities for performing counts
  • Identify procedures for documentation of correct & incorrect counts
  • Define Aseptic & Sterile Technique
  • Define Surgical Conscience
  • State the principles of asepsis
  • Review the AORN Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines associated with aseptic technique
  • Differentiate between decontamination, disinfection & sterilization
  • Recall risk factors that may contribute to postoperative infections
  • Define the four surgical wound classifications
  • Recall the processes necessary for sterilization
  • Demonstrate knowledge of use of steam autoclave & sterris if applicable
  • Recall the basic principles of decontamination
  • Recall the features of an ideal packaging system
  • Decontamination, assembling, packaging instruments
  • Identify names of various instruments
  • Review skin prep agents/technique
  • Discuss principles and types of surgical draping
  • Identify principles of electrosurgery
  • Discuss safety practices that help prevent electrosurgical injuries when applying a dispersive electrode
  • Identify practices that help minimize electrosurgical injuries
  • Identify the role of the perinatal nurse in documenting perioperative care
  • Identify AORN Recommended Practices & differentiate between preliminary, interim and terminal cleaning
  • Identify areas to be cleaned in OR suite
  • Identify methods used to contain and confine
  • Identify the clinical manifestation of latex allergies

Day 2:

  • Discuss the purpose and procedure for scrubbing, gowning and gloving
  • Demonstrate the proper procedure for gowning and gloving others
  • Demonstrate the setup of a sterile field
  • Demonstrate the setup of a sterile back table/mayo stand
  • Demonstrate proper surgical skin prep
  • Demonstrate recommended practice for performing counts of sponges and instruments
  • Demonstrate and recall the basic processes necessary for sterilization

Course Evaluation Strategies:

Student Performance will be evaluated through the following:

  • Class participation
  • Return demonstration
  • Competency check list

Method of Course Delivery:

The subject matter in this course will be presented in the form of lectures, class discussion, demonstrations, videos, and hands on demonstration.

Course Requirements:

  1. Successfully meet all course objectives.
  2. Complete all of required clinical hours and obtain a satisfactory clinical evaluation.
  3. Actively participate in class and clinical setting
  4. Meet attendance standards of program.