This distance education program has been approved by the Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada.
Registered nursing programs may only provide students with minimal exposure to specialty areas and, as a result, fewer nurses are considering perioperative nursing as a career choice. The GPRC Perioperative Nursing Certificate program has been developed to fill this educational need by utilizing the current Operating Room Nurses Association of Canada (ORNAC) recommended core curriculum: Perioperative Education Programs for Registered Nurses.
This program includes theory content from nursing, sciences, and the humanities. The focus is on individualized, patient-oriented care. Using context-based learning and the principles of adult learning, the program is delivered by using online synchronous and asynchronous learning strategies. In addition, clinical assignments are designed to provide the learner with opportunities to apply perioperative registered nursing theory in the practice setting.
Using a unique knowledge base and utilizing the nursing process, perioperative registered nurses are able to meet the individual needs of patients during the surgical experience.
Through four core courses, this program will prepare the registered nurse to function in the perioperative environment at the advanced novice level; that is, as a registered nurse who can demonstrate acceptable performance with the support of an experienced mentor. The program consists of two theory courses, one skills lab, and one clinical practice course.
Students will be required to attend 32 hours of skills lab in an operating room setting under the direction of a designated instructor. A skills lab (OR4020) is held in Grande Prairie or, at times, may be offered at various sites as arranged by the program instructor. The clinical practicum (OR4040) is accomplished through clinical placement and executed with the assistance of preceptors and the program instructor.
Prospective students are advised to contact the Department of Nursing Education and Health Studies before applying for the program.
Students must submit a letter from a supervisor verifying at least one full year of full-time experience in nursing practice. If students do not have one year of full-time nursing practice experience, their application may be considered on an individual basis. In lieu of one year of nursing experience, the student must provide a letter of recommendation from a nursing manager/clinical educator in support of program enrolment.
Current provincial/territorial registered nursing registration - please note: Students cannot participate in any aspect of clinical practicum without valid registered nursing practice registration. Depending on your provincial/territorial registered nursing practice year, you may be asked again, during the program, to provide current proof of current nursing practice registration.
Students must provide an immunization record upon admission. Students who are admitted to the program will receive information on required immunizations with their registration.
For Albertan students and non-sponsored students, a Police Information Check (PIC) will be required within 90 days of program start date. A current clear security clearance (PIC) for working with vulnerable populations is required prior to commencing a clinical course. Any security event that occurs between program registration and clinical or during clinical must be disclosed by the student.
Using PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition), students with perioperative nursing practice experience may challenge OR4020 Perioperative Nursing Skills Lab.
Students may also have an opportunity to have all or some clinical components of OR4040 Clinical Practicum waived based on assessment of prior learning and experience.
Assessment of prior learning and experience will be restricted to the skills lab (OR4020) and the clinical component of OR4040, as students are expected to complete all theory components of the program. Prior perioperative nursing experience is assessed by the instructor on an individual basis using course evaluation tools. Students must discuss the assessment of prior learning/experience process with the course instructor at the outset of the program.
Notes: Students taking the clinical practicum must provide the Nursing Clinical Placement Coordinator with three clinical placement options by the date on the placement request form (form and process provided upon registration). Every effort is made to accommodate student stated options, however, placement sites are dependent upon availability and students are not guaranteed the placement of their choice. If necessary, students will be required to travel to another community for clinical hours.
Students wanting to do a practicum outside of Alberta will be required to initiate arrangements of their own clinical placement at a site that meets with the course objectives. Information on this process will be sent to students upon registration.
Students will be responsible for any travel and accommodation costs associated with the skills lab and clinical placement.
A grade of B (75%) is the minimum passing grade. Students must complete both theory and practice components of nursing courses to receive credit.
Students may be required to write a theory exam if clinical commencement date is 4 months or more past the theory completion date.
A student, who is absent for more than two clinical days, may need to make up the lost time before being allowed to progress through clinical or complete the program. Absences from the clinical site may result in the instructor being unable to evaluate the student’s clinical performance and may result in the student being assigned a failing grade in the course.
This program must be completed within two years of the program start date.
To be eligible to receive a Post-RN Certificate in Perioperative Nursing, you must successfully complete all requirements of the curriculum. Once you have completed the program requirements, please apply to graduate.