Program Overview

Program Overview

The Basic Concepts and Skills of Perioperative Nursing for the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is a perioperative nursing prerequisite course designed to clinically prepare APRNs to function in the surgical arena and to be admitted to the RN First Assistant program.

Course Description

This course is an introductory eight-hour perioperative nursing course designed to clinically prepare the APRN planning to function in the surgical arena. The program is directed toward APRNs (NPs, CNMs, CNS, and Nurse Anesthetists) who lack the experience in perioperative patient care needed to be admitted to the RN First Assistant Program.

Course Topics

The course covers the following topics:

• Pre- and post-operative care
• Aseptic technique
• Scrubbing, gowning, and gloving
• Surgical instruments
• Surgical conscience
• Creating and maintaining a sterile field
• Positioning the patient
• Equipment and product safety
• General concepts of anesthesia
• Use of perioperative medications

Prerequisites

The RNFA Verification Committee accepted UCLA Extension RNFA program requires applicants to have two years of OR experience. This course is designed for nationally certified/eligible APRN without two years of experience. Upon completing this course, APRNs become eligible to apply for the UCLA Extension RNFA program.

Program Instructors

The program instructors are:

• Robert Salsameda, MSN, RN, NP-C, CRNFA
• Susanne Porter, RN, MSN, FNP
• Nancy Rove, BA, RN, CRNFA

RNFA Program

Upon completing this course, students can join the 6-day Registered Nurse First Assistant (RNFA) program to build the knowledge and techniques essential for assuming responsibilities of an RNFA.

Program Sponsor

This program is sponsored in part by Kaiser Permanente Facilities.