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NUR 531 Influencing the Future of Nursing and Health Care
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 A Core Curriculum at Riverside Medical Center is a structured perioperative nurse residency program designed to prepare registered nurses for safe, evidence-based surgical nursing practice. The program combines standardized online education, hands-on skills training, and supervised clinical practice while following nationally recognized nursing education standards. A systematic evaluation process ensures continuous improvement, regulatory compliance, and positive learning outcomes that support high-quality patient care.
Riverside Medical Center is committed to delivering exceptional healthcare through safety, quality, compassion, and service. To support this mission, the organization developed the PeriOp 101 nurse residency program in response to recommendations from The Future of Nursing report published by the National Academies. The report emphasizes the importance of transition-to-practice (T2P) programs that prepare newly licensed nurses to meet the evolving demands of healthcare.
The PeriOp 101 program strengthens perioperative nursing education by integrating:
The Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) PeriOp 101: A Core Curriculum
Evidence-based clinical practice
Hands-on skills laboratory experiences
Supervised clinical practicum
Continuous program evaluation
This comprehensive approach equips novice perioperative nurses with the knowledge, technical skills, and clinical confidence required to deliver safe surgical patient care.
The PeriOp 101 curriculum directly supports Riverside Medical Center’s mission of providing exceptional healthcare to a diverse community through excellence in safety, quality, compassion, and service.
The program’s educational goals include developing perioperative nurses who demonstrate:
Clinical competence
Critical thinking
Evidence-based decision-making
Professional confidence
Effective teamwork
Patient-centered care
By using standardized AORN educational resources and structured clinical experiences, the program promotes consistent nursing practice aligned with national standards.
The PeriOp 101 evaluation framework aligns with nationally recognized accreditation and quality improvement initiatives to ensure educational excellence.
The program is designed to support voluntary CCNE accreditation, demonstrating that the curriculum meets recognized standards for nursing education quality.
CCNE alignment helps ensure:
Program credibility
Continuous quality improvement
Effective evaluation systems
Outcome-based education
Accountability to healthcare stakeholders
QSEN competencies are integrated throughout the curriculum to prepare nurses with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) necessary for modern healthcare delivery.
Graduates develop competency in six core QSEN domains:
Patient-centered care
Teamwork and collaboration
Evidence-based practice
Quality improvement
Patient safety
Informatics
These competencies are reinforced through online learning, simulation exercises, clinical experiences, and competency assessments.
The primary goal of the curriculum is to prepare registered nurses for safe, effective perioperative practice.
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates are expected to:
Deliver safe perioperative patient care
Apply evidence-based clinical practices
Collaborate effectively within interdisciplinary surgical teams
Demonstrate professional accountability
Utilize healthcare technology appropriately
Participate in quality improvement initiatives
Apply patient safety principles in surgical settings
Learning outcomes are measured through classroom instruction, simulation, clinical performance, and standardized assessments.
A structured evaluation process is essential to maintaining educational quality and ensuring continuous program improvement.
Riverside Medical Center uses both formative and summative evaluation methods.
Formative evaluation occurs throughout the program and identifies opportunities to improve instruction and student learning.
Evaluation methods include:
Ongoing faculty reviews
Student self-assessments
Clinical observations
Skills laboratory evaluations
Individual coaching sessions
Group discussions
Student course feedback
These activities allow educators to make timely improvements before program completion.
Summative evaluation measures overall program effectiveness after completion.
Key evaluation components include:
End-of-module examinations
Comprehensive PeriOp 101 final examination
Clinical competency validation
Preceptor evaluations
Program outcome analysis
Students must achieve a minimum score of 84% on the final examination while successfully demonstrating required clinical competencies.
Faculty performance is continuously assessed to improve educational quality.
Teaching effectiveness is evaluated through:
Student course evaluations
Faculty self-assessment
Peer review
Clinical preceptor feedback
Individual student conferences
Group learning discussions
These evaluation methods help ensure instructors provide consistent, evidence-based education that supports student success.
Clinical practice is a critical component of perioperative nurse preparation.
Experienced perioperative nurses serve as clinical preceptors and evaluate students throughout the practicum.
Clinical performance is assessed using:
Direct observation
Skills competency checklists
Clinical documentation review
Professional behavior assessments
Patient safety practices
Clinical decision-making abilities
Preceptors also complete online educational modules that align with student coursework, ensuring consistency between classroom instruction and clinical practice.
The online learning environment is evaluated to ensure educational effectiveness and learner engagement.
Evaluation includes:
Module examination performance
Student satisfaction surveys
Faculty review of online content
Clinical preceptor feedback
Alignment between online learning and clinical practice
Continuous monitoring allows Riverside Medical Center to update course content and maintain educational quality.
A structured evaluation plan provides multiple organizational and educational benefits.
These include:
Improved educational quality
Better student learning outcomes
Stronger clinical competency
Compliance with accreditation standards
Enhanced patient safety
Consistent evidence-based practice
Continuous curriculum improvement
Greater confidence among novice perioperative nurses
Systematic evaluation also ensures the program remains responsive to changing healthcare standards and workforce needs.
The PeriOp 101: A Core Curriculum at Riverside Medical Center provides a comprehensive, evidence-based pathway for preparing registered nurses for perioperative practice. Through alignment with AORN standards, QSEN competencies, and CCNE quality expectations, the program supports clinical excellence, patient safety, and professional development.
By combining standardized education, simulation, clinical mentorship, and continuous evaluation, Riverside Medical Center develops confident perioperative nurses capable of delivering high-quality surgical care while advancing organizational goals and improving patient outcomes.
PeriOp 101 is a standardized perioperative nursing education program developed by AORN to prepare registered nurses for safe and effective practice in the operating room through online learning, skills labs, and supervised clinical experiences.
Systematic evaluation ensures that nursing education programs remain effective, meet accreditation standards, improve teaching quality, and produce graduates who are competent in delivering safe, evidence-based patient care.
The curriculum incorporates evidence-based practice, QSEN competencies, simulation training, competency assessments, and supervised clinical experiences that strengthen safe perioperative nursing practice.
Graduates develop competencies in patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence-based practice, quality improvement, safety, informatics, clinical decision-making, and professional accountability.
Students are evaluated through online module exams, clinical competency assessments, preceptor evaluations, simulation exercises, classroom participation, and a comprehensive final examination requiring a minimum passing score of 84%.
PeriOp 101 is a structured perioperative nurse residency program that combines standardized online education, clinical practice, simulation, and competency-based assessment to prepare registered nurses for safe operating room practice.
A successful PeriOp 101 evaluation plan integrates formative and summative assessments, aligns with CCNE accreditation standards and QSEN competencies, and continuously measures student performance, faculty effectiveness, and program outcomes.
Systematic evaluation improves perioperative nursing education by ensuring curriculum quality, supporting continuous improvement, strengthening clinical competency, promoting patient safety, and maintaining compliance with national nursing education standards.
Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2016). Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty (5th ed.). Elsevier. https://www.elsevier.com/books/teaching-in-nursing/billings/978-0-323-29054-8
Lewallen, L. P. (2015). Practical strategies for nursing education program evaluation. Journal of Professional Nursing, 31(2), 133–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2014.07.008
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2011). The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health. National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/12956
Quality and Safety Education for Nurses. (2019). QSEN Competencies. https://qsen.org/competencies/
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. (n.d.). Periop 101 Education Solutions. https://www.aorn.org/education/periop-101
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