University of Technology, Sydney

Staff directory | Campus maps | Newsroom | What's on

92256 Perioperative Nursing

UTS: Nursing, Midwifery and Health: Undergraduate Nursing Programs
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level: Undergraduate

Result Type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): (92236 Foundations of Mental Health Nursing OR 92239 Foundations of Children's Nursing)) AND (((91533 Fundamentals of Pathophysiology 3 OR 91534 Fundamentals of Pathophysiology 4) AND (92238 Adult Nursing: Cellular Alterations OR 92248 Adult Nursing: Neuro-endocrine) AND 92191 Adult Nursing: Cardiovascular AND 92192 Adult Nursing: Respiratory AND 92194 Adult Nursing: Renal and Reproductive AND 92195 Adult Nursing: GIT and Orthopaedic) OR ((92261 Adult Nursing: Medical OR 92262 Adult Nursing: Surgical) AND (99636 Essentials of Pathophysiology OR 91604 Introductory Pharmacology and Microbiology))

Handbook description

This clinical elective is designed to further students' knowledge and expertise in the complex nursing management of adults and/or children undergoing surgery, and provides students with a unique opportunity to understand the individual needs of patients within a highly specialised and technical area of nursing practice.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  1. assist in maintaining the patient's physiological and psychosocial status during the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative phases of surgery (ANMC competencies: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.4)
  2. discuss operating suite environmental control procedures including design, patient and staff safety, and infection control (ANMC competencies: 2.6, 2.7, 3.5, 4.1)
  3. discuss factors that influence the selection and type of anaesthetic including special needs of children and the elderly during anaesthesia, and those with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; pain management and education (ANMC competencies: 2.5, 2.6, 4.2, 4.4)
  4. demonstrate beginning registered nurse competency applying the principles of sterilisation and disinfection; aseptic technique and scrubbing, gowning and gloving; sterile field set-up; draping and handling sterile supplies (ANMC competencies: 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 3.1)
  5. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the care and handling of instruments and equipment used in the perioperative environment (ANMC competencies: 3.5, 4.1, 4.2, 4.4)
  6. discuss the nursing implications and postoperative management of common surgical procedures including monitoring haemodynamic and respiratory status, and other surgical and anaesthetic sequelae (ANMC competencies: 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 4.1, 7.4)
  7. discuss the legal obligations and ethical considerations of the nurse in the perioperative environment (ANMC competencies: 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 2.7).

Content

This subject covers a range of topics and issues relevant for perioperative nurses. It includes topics directly related to patient care such as the provision of anaesthesia,; scrubbing, gowning and gloving; aseptic technique; standard and transmission-based precautions; patient positioning; use of diathermy; postoperative management of common surgical procedures; and exploration of legal and ethical issues. In addition, environmental factors relevant to the operating suite, such as operating room design, traffic patterns, instrument care and handling, and sterilising and disinfection are explored.