6 Game-Changing Technologies Transforming Perioperative Nursing
By: AORN Staff
Published: 3/18/2025
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Can artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and other innovations make you a better nurse? Can they enhance patient safety? Nurses using these technologies say yes.
Researchers agree. One study with scrub nurses found that AI reduced administrative tasks and improved clinical decision-making – helping to ease burnout. Another study with nursing students showed that virtual reality simulation improved clinical reasoning.
Yet, technology adoption isn’t universal. Nurses outside major hospitals and academic institutions may feel behind the curve when it comes to integrating today’s top innovations into daily practice.
Louie Ang, DNP, MSN-Ed, RN, NPD-BC, CNOR-SURG-OB, is working to change that.
Collaborating with colleagues in his own hospital, he’s helping more nurses become confident and competent with the technologies transforming healthcare.
“Being able to leverage technologies that help us create more interactive education for our OR staff or even just find more effective ways to communicate with colleagues and patients has helped us see a change in how we deliver patient care and advance staff knowledge,” he said.
Tools for Next-Level Nursing Practice
Dr. Ang advocates for leveraging technology to enhance patient care, streamline workflows, and support staff education and development. Here are six technologies he thinks every perioperative nurse should be familiar with:
1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
What it does: Automates data analysis and offers real-time decision support.
How nurses can use it:
- Personalize treatment plans.
- Predict complications during surgery.
- Improve skills through simulated personalized training with instant feedback.
2. Robotics
What it does: Enhances surgical accuracy and minimizes surgery time, which reduces pain and recovery time and improves patient satisfaction.
How nurses can use it:
- Train with robotic systems in simulation environments to build confidence and proficiency.
- Strengthen teamwork with surgeons and techs for better patient outcomes.
3. Virtual Reality
What it does: Provides realistic training to practice skills faster with feedback to improve technique and accuracy. For patients, it can help manage anxiety and improve education through immersive experiences.
How nurses can use it:
- Help surgical patients reduce anxiety, especially preoperatively.
- Manage patient pain after surgery.
- Gain immersive training for complex procedures and emergency response without patient risk.
- Enable remote team training and collaboration in virtual spaces to improve communication across locations.
4. Wearable Health Technologies
What it does: Provides continuous health monitoring, allowing for earlier detection of changes in a patient’s condition.
How nurses can use it:
- Detect subtle changes in patient conditions for timely interventions.
- Encourage patients to take an active role in managing their health.
5. 3D Printing
What it does: Enables the rapid creation of custom medical devices and implants.
How nurses can use it:
- Assist in surgeries with highly personalized implants for better fit and function.
- Support recovery with custom prosthetics designed for individual patient needs.
6. Blockchain Technology
What it does: Streamlines secure patient data management and sharing.
How nurses can use it:
- Get familiar with advanced charting and documentation.
- Build trust with patients through secure, private data management.
Dr. Ang encourages perioperative nurses to seek out training opportunities to stay ahead of these evolving technologies. “Look at academic institutions that have integrated this type of training into their curriculum and seek out healthcare industry representatives offering education on their latest innovations.”
Learn More
Plan to attend Dr. Ang and his former colleagues’ session “To Infinity and Beyond: Advancing Perioperative Nursing through Technology” at AORN Global Surgical Conference & Expo in Boston April 5–8 and explore the education schedule for other sessions on technology relevant to your practice.
