Ask the Informatics Nurse

Whether you’re looking for ways to improve your outpatient surgery procedures or cut down on documentation burdens, our blog has you covered.

AI is revolutionizing perioperative nursing by boosting efficiency, patient care, and decision-making. Trust, accuracy, and empowerment are key to adoption, allowing AI to streamline workflows, automate tasks, and enhance surgical outcomes.

AI-driven documentation reduces nurse workload and improves OR efficiency by automating data capture, smart checklists, and EHR integration. AORN Syntegrity supports accurate, compliant documentation, helping nurses focus on patient care and advocacy.
At AORN Syntegrity, we know perioperative nursing informatics! Our operating room documentation and procedure list enhances your electronic health records (EHR) software, reducing the documentation burden and standardizing perioperative processes. This goes for the 800+ healthcare facilities who use AORN Syntegrity, from enterprise-level hospital groups to independent ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs).

Check this blog regularly for news and information that can help streamline your operating room management and staffing.

Filter By Category

Data-Driven Decisions: How AI Supports Perioperative Documentation

AORN Syntegrity

By: Beth Kaylor, RN, CAPS, CSPO - Founder, AI in Nursing

Published: 4/16/2025

Share:

The Documentation Challenge in the OR 

In the OR, every minute counts. Perioperative nurses balance patient care, efficiency, and compliance, all while ensuring cases move forward smoothly. However, increasing documentation demands often pull focus away from direct patient care. 

Studies show that nurses spend up to 35% of their time on documentation, often impacting the case and patient interaction. 

As patient advocates, perioperative nurses are responsible for ensuring safety, quality care, and ethical decision-making throughout the surgical process. While documentation is essential for continuity of care and compliance, it should not create unnecessary barriers to patient-centered nursing.  

AI-driven tools can reduce documentation burdens, helping nurses maintain accurate records while staying focused on patient care and advocacy.  

AI and Automation: Transforming Nursing Documentation 

AI and automation are reshaping clinical documentation, enhancing accuracy and efficiency while integrating seamlessly into existing workflows. 

Technology-Driven Enhancements 

  • Automated data capture from OR equipment – AI pulls real-time data from surgical monitors and other devices, automatically entering case details into the patient record.  
  • Smart checklists and auto-populated documentation – AI formats documentation based on case type, surgeon details, and best practices, reducing missing details and improving standardization. 
  • EHR integration – AI-driven systems can support accurate, automated documentation.  

Enhanced Decision Support 

AI-driven tools can provide real-time guidance, highlighting relevant protocols, risk factors, or best practices during documentation. 

  • Why it matters: Ensures documentation aligns with evidence-based practice, reducing reliance on memory or manual searches. 

AI and the Future of OR Nursing: A Partnership 

These tools are designed to support perioperative teams by: 

  • Reducing time spent on manual documentation, allowing more focus on patient care. 
  • Improving workflow efficiency without adding unnecessary complexity. 

  • Ensuring documentation is accurate, complete, and compliant. 

AI-Powered Documentation Solutions 

  • Machine learning & automation – AI can analyze patterns, flag missing entries, and assist with compliance in real time. 
  • Computer vision for resource tracking – AI-powered tools track resource usage, helping with inventory, documentation and cost control. 
  • AI-Supported Case Scheduling – Predictive analytics helps ensure the correct procedure is identified and documented, aligning case details with the right supplies, instruments, and equipment while minimizing last-minute documentation and adjustments. 

While predictive analytics is already improving scheduling in some perioperative settings, its role in AI-driven documentation is still evolving. In a fast-moving OR, technology should work for nurses, not the other way around. 

How AORN Syntegrity Supports AI-Powered Documentation 

AI is most effective when paired with structured, standardized documentation frameworks, such as AORN Syntegrity. 

AORN Syntegrity integrates perioperative nursing documentation into EHRs, helping nurses’ chart efficiently while maintaining compliance. With AI-driven tools, perioperative nurses can: 

  • Save time by reducing manual entry 
  • Ensure complete, accurate, and compliant documentation 
  • Reduce the stress of OR turnover times 

The Future of OR Documentation: Nurses Leading the Way 

The OR will continue to evolve, and AI-powered documentation can play an increasing role in improving efficiency and accuracy. 

However, nurse leadership is essential to ensure AI meets real-world perioperative needs. 

As AI advances, natural language processing (NLP) could enable more intuitive voice documentation, reducing the need for manual charting. Future AI models may also integrate deeper into EHRs, providing real-time decision support and automating compliance checks without interrupting workflow. 

Shaping the Future Through Collaboration 

To make AI work for perioperative nurses: 

  • Nurses must be involved in AI implementation to ensure it is intuitive, equitable and beneficial. 
  • Hospitals and vendors must seek nurse feedback to refine AI-driven documentation tools. 

  • Ongoing education and training will help nurses maximize AI’s benefits while addressing usability concerns. 

By taking an active role in AI adoption, perioperative nurses can shape how technology enhances workflows, improves documentation, and strengthens patient care. 

Ready to Enhance Decision Making in Your OR?

Discover how AORN Syntegrity can empower your perioperative team with standardized workflows, intuitive documentation, and advanced tools that optimize operating room efficiency. From integrating the PNDS to streamlining case scheduling, AORN Syntegrity is your partner in advancing patient care and operational excellence. 

Disclaimer: As with any new technology, AI tools should always be rigorously tested and validated before implementation. Perioperative nurses play a vital role in this process, contributing their clinical expertise to ensure AI systems are safe, effective, and aligned with patient care standards. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation are equally essential to maintain reliability and compliance as technology evolves.

 

Related Articles