Perioperative nurses work with patients who are having operative or other invasive procedures. They help plan, implement and evaluate treatment of the surgical patient and may work closely with the patient, family members, and other health care professionals.

This course provides a structured introduction to the principles of perioperative nursing, laying the groundwork for the knowledge and skills necessary to practise as a perioperative nurse who provides client-centered care prior to, during, and after surgical and invasive procedures in a variety of healthcare settings (hospitals; day surgery centres; endoscopy suites).

A distinguishing element of this course is the focus on a person-centered approach to perioperative nursing, which will give advocacy, assurance, quality, and safety of care to clients who are unable to communicate throughout the surgical process.

Students will be encouraged to participate actively in class discussions or online forums centred on assigned case studies in order to apply and integrate theoretical content, using an evidence-based approach while assessing, collecting data, and implementing a care plan for individuals prior to, during, and after surgery in a surgical environment.

Students will learn how to:

• Critically review the principles, scope and components of Perioperative nursing in terms of nursing intervention and management in different healthcare settings
• Explore and implement an evidence-based and person-centred care approach to nursing assessments and interventions related to clients before, during and after surgery
• Critically discuss aspects of a team approach in meeting a client’s specific immediate individual person-centred needs before, during and after surgery
• Critically examine the importance of the person-centred care approach to ethical-medico legal needs in an operative setting being conscious of the individual needs of clients from various cultural groups including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples