Get a quick tips for performing an abdominal skin prep.

Learn about important components of ACDF, such as patient assessment, positioning, surgical prep, needed supplies, and more.

To help you navigate your first Expo with confidence, one nurse put together a top 20 list of things to remember as you plan your trip and as you make your way through this exciting perioperative event.

Learn about and view the various instruments used during cardiothoracic surgery.

This article discusses instrument contamination, how to deal with contamination, and tips for speaking up about contamination.

Get quick tips for a facial prep.

Everyone has had the experience of being the new person in a group. It is an exciting time but may also be frustrating when no one listens to you when you speak up.

Perioperative personnel rely on team members from other departments and services, such as radiology, laboratory, environmental services, nutrition services, medical records, and respiratory services, to provide specific patient-centered care needs.

Navigating the operating room environment as a new nurse can be daunting; incorporating these communication tips can help you overcome the initial challenges.

Functioning as an RN circulator in an OR full of surgeons and support staff can seem very overwhelming for a novice nurse; however, the room can and will run smoothly with confidence.

This article describes what forensic evidence is and provides recommendations for handling it to maintain integrity.

Nurses speak up for so many that sometimes they forget to speak up for themselves.

The ability to speak up for yourself is critical to your longevity in OR, and nurses who can advocate for themselves are practicing the ultimate self-care.

Nurses should feel empowered, use their voice, and always establish a safe zone with their team.

Do you know the elements of the informed consent process and your role in the process?

Patient positioning is one essential factor to consider to reduce the likelihood of intraoperative nerve damage.

Learn about the three steps to incorporate into practice to ensure a safe working environment for patients and colleagues.

Get quick tips for performing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

One of the common questions I am asked by novice nurses is, “When will I know everything I need to be a safe and competent perioperative nurse?” Here is how I respond to those nurses.

Learn about the essential steps to take and supplies needed to manage an airway emergency.

A message of encouragement and support for novice perioperative nurses.

A message of encouragement and support for novice perioperative nurses.

A message of support and advice for novice perioperative nurses.

Margaret Vance, MSN, RN, CNOR, NPD-BC, shares a story about the time she accidentally disengaged a custom-made graft during an endovascular aneurysm repair.

Take some time to reflect and discover what it is that motivates you. Dig deep and find your purpose. And answer this question for yourself, “Why do I work in the OR?”

One nurse describes how she identified bioburden on an instrument and spoke up for patient safety.

Homework involves collecting the correct supplies and instruments for a case, knowing the basics of the type of surgery to be performed, and preparing for the “what ifs.”

One nurse shares a time she found her confidence and her voice, in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation.

Margaret Vance, a Clinical Nurse Education Specialist in the OR, shares the time she cut the pump line without clamping it first.

While your values and purpose may change over the years as your role changes, one constant remains: the patient is always at the center of what you do.

One nurse shares the time she spoke up about a missing lap sponge and reminds novice nurses to listen to their surgical conscience and speak up for their patients.

Even with the best training, new and experienced nurses alike can forget a needed item.

It is important to identify at least one thing a day that was positive. In a short amount of time, you will be amazed at the perioperative nurse you have become.

Self-care is an essential, but often neglected, element of the transition to perioperative practice.

Nurses are familiar with Florence Nightingale, but how many are familiar with the Black nurses who helped cure tuberculosis in New York City in the 1930s?

The perseverance and commitment to duty of the Black Angels highlights them as trailblazers that paved the way for African American nurses and leaders.

A fire risk assessment should be done prior to the start of every case, and the fire risk should be discussed with the entire surgical team during the time out.

Learn how exposure to novice experiences will help you grow upwards in your profession.

One way to increase the feeling of purpose is to find your ikigai, or your why.

Mobile apps may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you are preparing for a case, but they have many benefits.

Some of the skills perioperative nurses need to support their patients cannot be taught in a classroom, making the relationship between nurse preceptor and preceptee vital.

How to use that colorful ball next to the shovel, rake, and other sand toys currently sitting unused in your garage to review important topics and encourage team participation.

At the foundation of any clinical relationship is trust: trust between clinicians and patients, trust among the interprofessional team members, and trust between a new hire and the preceptor.

This article provides an example of how an annual competency for preoperative patient skin antisepsis was created and proctored in a series of steps.

One of the key factors that contributed to my success as a new OR nurse was the well-organized and well-appointed orientation by the nurse educator.

How can you keep motivation high to engage learners in continuous improvement? One way to increase learning engagement is through fun, games, and competition.

One way to increase participation during a staff in-service or small group meeting is to incorporate gaming as a method of educational delivery.

The preceptor fills many roles: coach, leader, influencer, facilitator, evaluator, socializer, protector, role model, and most importantly – educator.

Education on preparing for patient deaths, including the processes and the caring practices, will prepare nurses to provide the most compassionate care possible.

Learn how to organize your next escape room.

The preceptor may perform many roles to support other nurses, but there are four primary roles that create successful preceptor relationships.

This article reviews the stages of the competence model and describes the process of skill mastery.

Three ways educators can set themselves and their learners up for success are by creating a supportive learning environment, influencing goal setting, and establishing value.

It is important for preceptors to develop strong communication skills that facilitate novice nurse development.