Establishing a collaborative relationship with a college of nursing

AORN Journal, Nov, 2002 by Laurie Mitchell, Darlena Stevens, Jennifer Goodman, Mary Brown

CONCLUSION

Students enrolled in the perioperative class found it very rewarding. Two of the five students in the initial class have graduated and selected perioperative nursing as their practice area. When compared to other new graduates in the OR, the two students who took the perioperative elective showed more independence and were considered more competent to take call during the orientation process. Much of this may be a result of their prior exposure to the OR through the perioperative elective.

Table 1
ESTIMATED MONTHLY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH
VACANCIES, CONTRACT STAFF MEMBERS, AND UNSTAFFED ORS

Cost factor      Calculation                               Monthly cost

Overtime costs   1 RN x 80 overtime hours x $36 per hour       $2,880
                 1 surgical technologist x 80 overtime         $1,680
                   hours x $21 per hour

Two contract     Added cost per hour = $18 x 320 hours         $5,760
staff people

Lost revenue     Average revenue per case = $3,850 x 60      $231,000
                 lost cases

                                                   Total     $241,320

NOTES

(1.) "AONE sends message on shortage," OR Manager 17 (January 2001) 5.

(2.) B Happell, "Student interest in perioperative nursing practice as a career," AORN Journal 71 (March 2000) 600-605.

(3.) "AONE sends message on shortage," 5.

(4.) "Texas needs nurses: Facts about the nursing shortage in Texas," in Texas Nurses Association Projections Report (Austin, Tex: Texas Nurses Association, November 2000).

(5.) Ibid.

(6.) "Nursing Shortage Response Act of 2001," Thomas Legislative Information, http://thomas.loc.gov /cgi-bin/query/D?c107:29:./temp /~c107Zmmdli:: (accessed 21 Aug 2002).

(7.) N H Fortunate, L J Atkinson, Berry & Kohn's Operating Room Technique, ninth ed (St Louis: Mosby, 2000); Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines (Denver: AORN, Inc, 2002).

RESOURCE

"AORN position statement on the inclusion of perioperative nursing learning activities in undergraduate nursing curricula," AORN Journal 73 (June 2001) 1052-1053.

Laurie Mitchell, RN, EdD, CNOR, is nurses manager cardiovascular/transplant surgical services at St Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston.

Darlena Stevens, RN, MSN, CNAA, CNOR, is vice president, perioperative services, St Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston.

Jennifer Goodman, RN,, PhD, is an associate professor at Prairie View A&M University College of Nursing, Houston.

Mary Brown, RN, MSN, is a nurse manager, main OR, St Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston.