Growing Your Own: Perioperative Services Staffing Strategies (Poster ID #218)
Introduction
• Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is a
large academic medical center, with over 900 beds,
serving both pediatric and adult populations.
• Within Perioperative Services, we have over 82
operative suites and 200 HR/PACU beds, caring for
more than 56,000 patients annually. We are also
experiencing rapid growth and expansion.
• Our geographic footprint includes multiple facilities
across an expansive territory. We also have multiple
affiliation agreements with partner facilities.
• Our staff consists of multiple roles with over 1,100
team members.
• All of these logistics lead to a need for aggressive
and constant focus on our workforce both from a
recruitment and retention perspective. This is
needed at both the entry staff level and for
leadership roles.
• VUMC & Perioperative Services has multiple
programs in place to assist with these needs.
• One guiding principle is to partner beginning in
high school and at all subsequent touch points.
• Our programs include:
• Nursing Explorers
• High School Immersion Programs
• VESNIP
• Nursing School Practicums
• Surgical Technologists Practicums
• OR Nurse Internship
• VUMC Nurse Residency
• RN:BSN track
• Leadership Development
Organization Wide Programs
High School Opportunities
• Partner with over 60 local high schools .
• Many have “major” emphasis tracks for health care
career interest.
• Monthly meetings with varied VUMC departments to
educate and discuss opportunities.
• Additional observational opportunities across multiple
departments (including Perioperative Services).
Undergraduate Opportunities
VESNIP
• 7 week immersion program for nursing students
between junior / senior year.
• 80-100 student nurses per session.
• Focused experience in a given area (i.e. OR/PACU as
a rotation).
• Specific skills able to be performed.
Senior Nursing Practicums
• Partner with local programs to provide 72 hour senior
student practicum experiences.
• Observational exposure in their area of choice (i.e.
OR/PACU).
Nurse Residency
• Two cohorts per year with ~125 each session.
• Year long transition program for new graduate nurses.
• Multiple tracks (i.e. critical care, pediatrics, women’s
health).
• Initial 7 week rotation in multiple units within track.
• Placement onto unit for ongoing specific orientation.
• Ongoing workshops for development in a variety of areas
for one year.
• National applicant pool, competitive admission process.
• Strong retention results.
• Have shifted towards BSN only.
RN : BSN Programs
• In depth tuition reimbursement program for all staff, any
national program.
• Additional reimbursement specific for nursing programs
• Creative programs to offer flexible options and cohorts
• Partner with local BSN program.
Advanced Degrees & Leadership Development
• In depth tuition reimbursement program for all staff, any
national program.
• Additional reimbursement specific for nursing programs
• Mentor programs available.
• Multiple VUMC leadership development programs.
• Specific partnerships with VUSN for MSN / DNP tracks.
Perioperative Services
Summary
In addition to participation in the various organization wide
programs, the following are a few of our highlighted efforts
to grow our Perioperative Services staffing:
OR Nurse Internship
• Program offered twice per year, with ~20 students per
class.
• 17 weeks within a focused orientation program with a
mixture of didactic, lab simulation and hands-on clinical.
• Additional 8-12 weeks service specific orientation.
• Overall ~1,000 hours of total orientation.
• AORN PeriOp 101 web based program is incorporated.
• Standardized competencies utilized to ensure 26
fundamental skills are validated.
• Multiple trained preceptors assigned to each intern.
• Weekly feedback sessions with intern and team members.
• National recruitment and selection process.
• Applicant pool has shifted towards new graduate BSN
students as a primary candidate, with positive retention
results.
• Experienced, RN staff that have not previously worked in
the OR are also eligible.
Surgical Technologists Practicums
• Partner with area Surgical Technologist Programs
• Serve as a clinical site
• 8 week clinical rotation – 32 weeks per year
• 4 students per rotation – 24 students per year
• Students attend 3 hour orientation and core skills check
off prior to entering the clinical area
• Student exposure includes all surgical specialties during
rotation
Certification Programs
• Onsite review courses for CNOR & CAPA/CPAN
certification courses, open to community.
• Ongoing small cohort study groups.
• Additional onsite courses for other certifications (i.e.
CCRN, CNE, CEN).
The Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report released
in 2010 has several key indicators which require all of these
initiatives and more.
• Increasing the level of BSN prepared nurses to 80%
by 2020.
• Doubling the number of nurses with graduate
degrees, especially at the doctoral level, by 2020.
While each of these programs requires significant resources,
all are vital in both recruiting new staff, and continuing the
learning process for existing staff and leaders.
Competition is fierce in most markets for human resources,
our most important asset. VUMC has chosen these multiple
approaches to market and attract staff.
Our workforce, specifically nursing, is aging. Partnering
with our schools is a key way to increase the pipeline of
future talent at all levels.
Every effort should be undertaken to increase exposure to
Perioperative Services, especially for our student
populations. In most nursing programs, for example, the
current student routinely gets very limited access to clinical
experiences in the OR/PACU settings.
Perioperative Services Education & Research
Scott Strech, RN, BSN, MBA
Director, Peri-Operative Services Education and Research
Cynthia Garcia, RN, BSN ,MTHS, CNOR
Nursing Professional Development Specialist
Derrick McLean, CST, CRCST
Consultant, Peri-Operative Education and Quality