Innovative Use of Cadavers in Perioperative Nursing Orientation.

The Periop 101 program administrator at a US Navy medical center worked with personnel in the facility's simulation and bioskills laboratories to develop an innovative perioperative nurse orientation curriculum that included the use of human cadavers during simulation activities. Participants were able to practice common perioperative nursing skills (eg, surgical skin antisepsis) on human cadavers rather than simulation manikins. The orientation program comprises two three-month phases. Participants were evaluated twice during phase 1: at the six-week mark and again six weeks later at the end of the phase. Using the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric, the administrator scored participants on their clinical judgment skills; results showed that mean scores increased for all learners between the two evaluation sessions. Practicing skills in a safe environment allows new staff members to learn without fear of causing accidental patient harm, and the additional use of cadavers further increased simulation fidelity and learner satisfaction.

Nurses' Knowledge of and Confidence in Perioperative Skills for Emergency Cesarean Birth.

OBJECTIVE: To assess if nurses' perioperative knowledge of and confidence in perioperative skills for emergency cesarean birth improved after didactic learning and high-fidelity simulation. DESIGN: Descriptive, one-group pretest and posttest design. SETTING/LOCAL PROBLEM: Level 3 labor and birth unit that averages 3,000 births per year. At the site, there were no current evidence-based programs specifically focused on perioperative skills sustainment of the maternity nursing professional. PARTICIPANTS: Registered nurses on a labor and birth unit with at least 1 year of experience completed an online educational course and simulation activity. INTERVENTIONS/MEASUREMENTS: Participants were given pretests and posttests to assess knowledge and confidence in emergency cesarean birth perioperative skills. Observations of nurses' pretest and posttest interventions in cesarean births were made to assess changes in competency. Chart reviews were completed to assess changes in decision-to-incision time before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Nurses reported greater confidence and knowledge during emergency cesarean birth after participating in the interventions. Other results included decreased decision-to-incision times. None of these results held statistical significance. CONCLUSION: This project highlights the need for evidence-based, standardized perioperative maternity education across labor and birth nursing practice.