Registered Practical Nursing - Perioperative Program (Postgraduate) (S425)

Program Description

Program Overview

The Registered Practical Nursing – Perioperative program prepares RPNs with the foundational theoretical and technical skills needed to work within their scope of practice in a perioperative setting. This program includes a theory and clinical practicum component.

Full Description

The Registered Practical Nursing – Perioperative postgraduate program is designed to teach RPNs the skills required to work as part of a perioperative team in a perioperative setting at a beginner level. The program utilizes current perioperative nursing research and strictly adheres to the Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC) Standards of Practice. Students will learn operating room principles and practice considerations for all surgical specialties. This includes the study of relevant anatomy, surgical modalities, surgical instrumentation and the nursing process of caring for perioperative patients. Each student will complete a clinical practicum in an operating room with an emphasis on the scrub nurse role in various surgical specialties. 

Course Delivery 

This course will be delivered through multimodal learning and will include: 

  • synchronous and asynchronous in class and online theory 
  • lab skills and simulations 
  • a clinical practicum experience 

The program is organized in two phases. 

Phase I: Nursing Theory and Lab Skills is delivered during the first five weeks of the program. 

This includes: 

  • current ORNAC standards, principles and applications 
  • practice considerations for all surgical specialties 
  • surgical anatomy, modalities and instrumentation 
  • role of the scrub nurse 
  • clinical lab skills delivered in George Brown College's Operating Room Simulation Centre  

Phase II: Clinical Practicum includes an eight-week (320-hour) clinical placement. 

Students will consolidate operating room theory and principles at a designated hospital facility. 

This includes: 

  • development of the scrub nurse role 
  • exposure to various surgical specialties (i.e. General Surgery, Urology, Gynecology, Plastic Surgery, ENT and Orthopedic Surgery) 
  • safe and professional practice 
  • introduction to the circulating role (hospital site dependent) 

While in the clinical setting, students will participate in online discussions through live video conferences and complete clinical assignments as per the course syllabus. 

Clinical experiences are coordinated by the program coordinator at hospitals in and outside of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), or at the hospital where the student currently works. Sponsored (hired) students will complete their clinical placements at the hospital where they are employed. 

PLEASE NOTE: Some of our clinical or work placement partners may require students to show proof of full vaccination and PPE. For program specific requirements, please visit this page for the latest updates on COVID-19.

Career & Postgraduate Study Opportunities

Career Options

Graduates of the Registered Practical Nursing – Perioperative postgraduate program will have the necessary skills required to work as part of a perioperative team in a perioperative setting at a beginner level.

This program offers RPNs an opportunity to specialize in perioperative nursing. In recent years, more acute care centres are adding RPN positions to their operating rooms' staffing skills mix. 

Educational Pathways

Graduates of a health sciences program who have an interest in working in long-term care facilities should consider applying to our Interprofessional Complex and Long-Term Care postgraduate certificate. This two-semester program will teach you to co-ordinate and manage an interprofessional health-care team of complex and long-term care professionals. The courses are delivered online and on-demand to accommodate working professionals. This program includes a clinical field placement component.

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