As the world population is aging, the requirement of surgical services continues to increase as well. At the same time, there have been nursing shortages internationally and nationally in Australia in recent years (Schluter, Seaton & Chaboyer, 2011). And every year, there is only a small percentage of all nurses choose to practice in the peri-operative arena. The global nurse shortage results in the peri-operative nurse shortage. Furthermore, peri-operative nurses are aging. In 2007, over half of the peri-operative nurses were 50 to 59 years old (Foran, 2015). As a result, part of these current peri-operative nurses will retire in the next few years, and then the demand for peri-operative …show more content…
In particular, the nurse’s knowledge, education, competency, the extent of experience and lawful authority, define the nurse’s scope of practice; and the nurses perform the procedures and care to the patients within their scopes of practice (NMBA, 2016). Moreover, the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) releases the Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia, in which outlines that “it is the responsibility of each nurse to maintain the competence necessary for current practice (NMBA, 2008, p2)”. Thus, nurses should participate in ongoing professional development to maintain and improve their knowledge, skills, and attitudes, which are relevant to practice in the clinical setting (NMBA, 2008). In order to become a qualified perioperative nurse, apart from knowing and practicing within the scope of practice, the additional knowledge and training are necessary to improve the knowledge and skills for the nursing …show more content…
(2010). Preparation of nurses for novice entry to perioperative practice: Evaluation of a short education program. ACORN, 23(2), 14-27. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/fullText;dn=415851634154528;res=IELHEA
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). (2008). Code of Professional Conduct for Nurses in Australia. Retrieved from http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards.aspx
Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA). (2016). Registered nurse standards for practice. Retrieved from http://www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Statements/Professional-standards.aspx
Pupkiewicz, J., Kitson, A., & Perry, J. (2015). What factors within the peri-operative environment influence the training of scrub nurses? Nurse Education in Practice, 15(5), 373-380. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nepr.2015.03.004
Schluter, J., Seaton, P., & Chaboyer, W. (2011). Understanding nursing scope of practice: A qualitative study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 48(10), 1211-1222. DOI: