Student nurses in peri-op

Student nurses in the Perioperative setting One of the top concerns in healthcare today is insufficient nurse staffing. The nursing shortage is predicted to increase over the next several years. “The need for nurses is expected to grow to 26% by the year 2020” (Johnson & Johnson, 2013). This number is faster than the average occupation. “The aging baby boomer population will place a demand on healthcare for more health services as people live longer” Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012-2013). The national shortage of nurses has also contributed to the increased turnover rates for nurses. “Accurately predicting staffing needs is a crucial management skill because it enables the manager to avoid staffing crises” (Marquis& Huston, p.325). “It is expected that by the year 2020 the United States will face a shortage of 800,000 nurses. Registered Nurses account for 2.6 million jobs in the US and by 2018 that number is expected to swell to 3.2 million, with the greatest number working in hospitals”. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) states that “many individuals seeking to enter the nursing profession cannot be accommodated despite meeting all of the programs entrance requirements.” The AACN states that “a number of causes are due to an insufficient number of clinical placement sites, faculty and funding” (AACN, 2013). Some nursing programs cease to exist. Research on the development of PCI’s (student nurses) to RN’s began as a method to train PCI’s in the role of a tech in the OR. This method helps staffing numbers, but it also gives the PCI an opportunity to learn what skills are needed to work in the OR setting. The student nurse first applies for a position to the OR as a PCI. The student nurse has to have had at least one semester of clinical, and must be enrolled in a Baccalaureate of Science of Nursing program. Baccalaureate nursing curriculum provides minimal exposure to the