CCI

A robust weight of data shows that perioperative nursing, like many professions, is sorely lacking in diversity. It’s now more important than ever for DEI initiatives to not just tick a box but begin moving the needle and making gains to diversify the nursing pipeline.

Perioperative nurse educators are essential to the work of perioperative nursing and are often charged with fulfilling a variety of roles in addition to staff education. Such roles may include learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion for scientific inquiry and/or a partner for practice transitions (Harper & Maloney, 2022). Thus, it might be more appropriate to refer to perioperative nurse educators as perioperative nursing professional development (NPD) practitioners. 

The Seacrest Company, a leading consultant to certification boards, recently stated that, “Today’s workforce requires varied options to demonstrate expertise and attainment of job-related skills.” (2022). 

Nursing faces a significant challenge in the dissemination of new nursing knowledge. We have record numbers of nurses engaged in doctoral studies, but the vital findings from this research – essential new knowledge – does not consistently make its way to the point of care. Life events do happen and many dissertations are never widely disseminated. In 2012, I completed the required forms, paid my fees and placed my dissertation in the ProQuest database. With some work you can find my dissertation. Some researchers have figured this out as my work has been cited in seven other papers. I would venture that few perioperative nurses routinely search databases for new evidence. 

Valid competency assessment instruments have the potential to enhance professional development by identifying areas for improvement. Instruments do exist for the assessment of general nursing competency; the Nurse Competence Scale (NCS) developed by Meretoja being one salient example (2004). The NCS has been used with perioperative nurses but is not specific to the specialty. 

In this column, I would like to discuss a very exciting development for the CCI; the recent launch of our sixth credential – Nursing Professional Development Advanced – Board Certified (NPDA-BC).