Every year, Perioperative Nurses Week focuses attention on the meaningful work of 160,000 perioperative (surgical) nurses across the US who advocate for the safety of surgical patients.
This year, the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) has selected the theme “Collaboration for Patient and Worker Safety” to emphasize the importance of teamwork in the operating room.
For patients, a collaborative team environment will enable the best possible surgical outcome. For the OR health care worker, including the surgeon, anesthesia provider, surgical assistant and other assistive personnel, collaboration leads to workplace safety and a more positive work environment.
This year, Perioperative Nurses Week begins on November 5 and ends on November 11. During this week, internal celebrations are planned to honor the perioperative nurses at WVUH-East’s City Hospital in Martinsburg and Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Ranson.
Traditionally, Perioperative Nurses Week is devoted to highlighting the diverse ways in which perioperative nurses, who help comprise the largest health care profession, are working to improve surgical safety. From preoperative care through surgery and postoperative care, in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers and physicians’ offices, perioperative nurses use a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to patient care to work closely with the entire surgical team.
AORN represents the interests of more than 160,000 perioperative nurses by providing nursing education, standards, and practice resources—including the peer-reviewed, monthly publication AORN Journal—to enable optimal outcomes for patients undergoing operative and other invasive procedures. AORN’s 40,000 registered nurse members manage, teach, and practice perioperative nursing, are enrolled in nursing education or are engaged in perioperative research. For more information, visit www.aorn.org.
