Course Overview
This 125- hour clinical course is an introduction to perioperative nursing care with a primary focus on developing beginning competency in the scrub nurse role. Students implement NSPO 7250 and/or NSPO 7251 theory content in the practice setting. By engaging in nursing practices that progress from simple to more complex, participants will develop skills to manage the sterile surgical environment and provide safe patient care during surgery. Learners will implement a framework for practice and function independently as a novice scrub nurse. Participants will apply key concepts of safety, surgical conscience and aseptic technique in the scrub role to promote a safe and supportive environment for patients and perioperative team members. Students will continue to learn about and apply the concept of caring through exploration of patients' intraoperative experiences. Learners will use effective communication, organization and prioritization techniques to facilitate the set-up and monitoring of a sterile environment. Students will learn to apply sound clinical decision-making processes in the intraoperative phase of perioperative care. Emphasis is on the scrub nurse's collaborative role with patients, colleagues, instructors and multidisciplinary team members is emphasized. Students will create opportunities to humanize the perioperative environment for patients and team members using collaborative strategies. Learners will begin to learn about and practice circulating nurse skills that focus on supporting the scrub nurse and sterile team.
Prerequisite(s)
Credits
5.0
- Not offered this term
- This course is not offered this term. Notify me to receive email notifications when the course opens for registration next term.
Learning Outcomes
As a healthcare practitioner, you are expected to follow professional standards of practice throughout all SN programs and courses. In this course, you will have opportunities to use the processes of critical thinking, systematic inquiry, communication, collaboration, leadership, professionalism, and clinical decision-making. Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Implement current ORNAC Guidelines for Perioperative Practice and relevant theory in the scrub role.
- Demonstrate the ability to organize and prioritize core entry level activities in the scrub role for patients undergoing common, less complex surgery.
- Demonstrate correct aseptic technique when preparing, monitoring and maintaining the sterile field.
- Apply surgical conscience to patient care in the scrub role.
- Employ ethical, competent and safe actions with patients.
- Advocate for patients in the scrub role.
- Identify commonly used instruments and equipment.
- Enact scrub nurse activities to protect self, patient and team members from risks and hazards encountered in the perioperative environment.
- Use appropriate and effective communication techniques with patients and team members.
- Demonstrate scrub nurse activities that facilitate effective multidisciplinary team function.
- Apply systematic inquiry skills to diverse sources of information in order to identify potential and actual problems related to the patient and procedure.
- Enact a plan for individualized patient care in the scrub role using a clinical decision-making framework.
- Engage in independent and collaborative clinical decision-making activities related to the scrub role.
Effective as of Fall 2025
Related Programs
Perioperative Clinical 1: Implementing the Scrub Nurse Role (NSPO 7350) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
School of Health Sciences
- Perioperative Nursing Specialty
Advanced Certificate Part-time
- Specialty Nursing (Perioperative)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing Part-time
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.