Perioperative Nursing (4 cr)

Objectives (course unit)

The student
- knows the role of the perioperative nurse
- knows the meaning of aseptics in intraoperative nursing
- knows the significance of patient safety and continuity in perioperative care
- knows the main methods of preparation of a patient's anaesthesia;
- knows the medication and infusions used in anaesthesia
- knows the observation and the main areas of treatment under anaesthesia and in recovery room
- recognises main surgical instruments and suture materials and knows their basic use in surgery
- knows the main equipment and their use in the operating theatre
- knows the most common methods of disinfection and sterilasation
- becomes familiar with positioning the patient for the operation

Content (course unit)

- various roles of a perioperative nurse
- nursing in day surgery and ambulatory surgery
- interaction with the patient
- guidance of patients of different ages and special issues in perioperative nursing
- preparation of the operating theatre for surgery
- patient safety, documentation and reporting in perioperative nursing
- preparation of the patient for the operation
- the principles of aseptics in the operating theatre
- the main instruments and equipment and their use in the operating theatre
- the most common methods in disinfection and sterilasation in perioperative nursing
- induction and observation of the patient during the operation
- medication and fluid therapy in anaesthesia
- observation of the patient in the recovery room
- pain control in immediate postoperative nursing

Prerequisites (course unit)

30 ects of first year studies completed, including Pharmacotherapy and Medical Calculations. Participation in course Intravenous Fluid Therapy and Blood Transfusion.

Assessment criteria, satisfactory (1-2) (course unit)

The student
- perceives the patient's care path in the intraoperative phase
- perceives the perioperative nurse's job description in the intraoperative care of the patient
- is able to guide the patient in the intraoperative phase
- knows the importance of patient safety and continuity of care during intraoperative care
- knows the importance of aseptics in the work of the operating room and in minor surgery
- knows the main preparation methods for the patient's anaesthesia
- knows the infusions and medications used for the patient's anaesthesia
- knows the most important aspects of monitoring a patient under general or local anaesthesia during the operation and in the recovery room
- knows the most important surgical instruments
- knows the main surgical sutures
- knows the treatment tools used in the patient's intraoperative phase
- knows the most-used disinfectant and sterilisation methods in perioperative nursing
- knows the most used surgical positionings
- knows the importance of written documentation and oral reporting of the patient care

Assessment criteria, good (3-4) (course unit)

The student
- knows the patient's care path in the intraoperative phase
- knows the perioperative nurse's job description in the intraoperative care of the patient
- is able to guide the patient with detailed explanations during the intraoperative phase
- understands the importance of patient safety and continuity of care during intraoperative care
- knows the importance of aseptics in the work of the operating room and in minor surgery and is able to act according to the aseptic rules
- knows the main preparation methods for the patient's anaesthesia
- knows the infusions and medications used in the patient's anaesthesia
- know the most important surgical sutures and the purpose of their use
- knows the most important aspects of monitoring a patient under general or local anaesthesia during the operation and in the recovery room
- is able to identify the most common treatment tools in the intraoperative phase and knows the basics of using them
- knows the most-used disinfectant and sterilisation methods in perioperative nursing
- is trained in creating the most common surgical positionings for the patient’s operation
- is able to document the main areas of the patient’s anaesthesia

Assessment criteria, excellent (5) (course unit)

The student
- understands the patient's care path in the intraoperative phase
- understands the perioperative nurse's job description in intraoperative care and perceives the importance of teamwork
- is able to provide patient-centred guidance during the intraoperative care
- understands the importance of patient safety and continuity of care in the intraoperative care
- understands the importance of asepsis in the work of the operating room and minor operations and is able to work aseptically, having mastered the aseptics in different situations
- has mastered the preparation methods for the patient's anaesthesia
- knows the infusions and medications used in the patient's anaesthesia and knows their action mechanisms
- is able to monitor the essential aspects of a patient under general or local anaesthesia during the operation and in the recovery room
- is able to identify the most common surgical instruments and knows the purpose of their use
- knows the use of the most common sutures
- knows the most common treatment tools in the intraoperative phase and knows the basics of using them
- knows the most-used disinfectant and sterilisation methods in perioperative nursing
- knows how to create the most common surgical positioning and understands their importance for the patient’s condition
- is able to document the key areas of patient anesthesia and give oral reports about the patient’s condition during the operation, taking into consideration patient safety and continuity of care

Location and time

Course Final test in Tuni Exam during week 47 20-26.11.2023
Please, note! Test includes 2 parts: theory and medical calculation
1st retake in Exam on week 51 2023 - week 1 2024. Part 1 theory and 2 medical calculations
2nd retake in Exam on week 7 2024. Part 1 theory and 2 medical calculations
After these retakes, student has to enroll to next course.
The evaluation is based on final exam (evaluation 0-5). Theoretical part + medical calculations, please note that these are separate test in Exam. If you do not pass either part 1 or part 2, you only need to retake the specific part you failed in the retakes (as scheduled in the course plan).
For the mandatory task, you will receive 1 point for each submission. If you complete these tasks within the scheduled time, these points will be added to the final test grading (1-8 TASK, maximum 8 points).

There is mandatory assignments in Moodle Platform:
Perioperative care: consepts and perioperative process
• TASK: Perioperative Process and aseptic principles
Surgical Nursing (Scrub and Circulating)
• TASK: Role and duties of scrub and circulating nurse
Small group session: Scrub and Circulating
• TASK: Surgical Nursing in perioperative phase
Anesthesia
• TASK: Anesthesia preparation and induction
• TASK: Anesthesia maintenance GA
• TASK: Regional anesthesia
Small group session: Anesthesia Nurse
• TASK: Case Kaisa
Postoperative care and CSSD (independent)
• TASK: Postoperative care and CSSD

Exam schedules

Course Final test in Tuni Exam during week 47 20-26.11.2023
Please, note! Test includes 2 parts: theory and medical calculation
1st retake in Exam on week 51 2023 - week 1 2024. Part 1 theory and 2 medical calculations
2nd retake in Exam on week 7 2024. Part 1 theory and 2 medical calculations
After these retakes, student has to enroll to next course.
The evaluation is based on final exam (evaluation 0-5). Theoretical part + medical calculations, please note that these are separate test in Exam.
If you do not pass either part 1 or part 2, you only need to retake the specific part you failed in the retakes (as scheduled in the course plan).
For the mandatory task, you will receive 1 point for each submission. If you complete these tasks within the scheduled time, these points will be added to the final test grading (1-8 TASK, maximum 8 points).

There is mandatory assignments:
Perioperative care: concepts and perioperative process
• TASK: Perioperative Process and aseptic principles

Surgical Nursing (Scrub and Circulating)
• TASK: Role and duties of scrub and circulating nurse
Small group session: Scrub and Circulating
• TASK: Surgical Nursing in perioperative phase

Anesthesia
• TASK: Anesthesia preparation and induction
• TASK: Anesthesia maintenance GA
• TASK: Regional anesthesia
Small group session: Anesthesia Nurse
• TASK: Case Kaisa
Postoperative care and CSSD (independent)
• TASK: Postoperative care and CSSD

Assessment scale

0-5

Teaching methods

The information about this course will be updated before mandatory.
Mandatory orientation session: see course timetable.
The course has different learning methods: online studies in Tuni-Moodle, possibly blended learning in a class room, possibly lectures, small group work and independent studies.
This course will include mandatory independent and group assignments, web-based tests and independent study.

Learning materials

Recommended Literature:
• Hinkle, J.L & Cheever, K.H : Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing. Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2017. (also earlier publications)
• Wicker P, Dalby S. Rapid Perioperative Care. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated; 2016
• Wicker P. Perioperative Practice at a Glance. 1st ed. Wiley-Blackwell; 2015.
• Criscitelli T. Fast Facts for the Operating Room Nurse: An Orientation and Care Guide in a Nutshell. New York: Springer Publishing Company; 2014.
Content: same as in course plan
- various roles of a perioperative nurse
- day surgery and ambulatory surgery
- guidance of patients
- special issues in perioperative nursing
- preparation of the operating theatre for surgery
- patient safety, documentation and reporting in perioperative nursing;
- preparation of the patient for the operation
- the principles of aseptics;
- the main equipment and its use in the operating theatre;
- the most common methods in disinfection and sterilasation;
- induction and observation of the patient during the operation;
- medication and fluid therapy in anaesthesia:
- observation of the patient in the recovery room;
- pain control in immediate postoperative nursing

Medical calculations:
• Calculation skills for nurses (e-book).2013. Boyd, Claire
• Gatford & Phillips. Nursing Calculations.2006.
Material provided during the course and created in teams and small groups

Student workload

The course is 4 ECTS. 1 ECTS is 27 hours of student work. The total work is 108 hours of student's work, including possible online studies, blended learning, small group work-lessons and independent studies.

Further information

Tamk students must have completed 30 ECTS of the early-stage studies before commencing the course, including Pharmacotherapy and Medical Calculations.

Students must enroll in a course during enrollment time.