What future will perioperative nurses choose by 2010?

Abstract

The future does not just happen. Events of yesterday provide the brick and mortar for today. The future of perioperative nursing practice depends on how we arrange the brick and mortar today. We cannot predict the future; the future is chosen based on what actions we plan for tomorrow. Health care, surgical care, and illness care will change a great deal as we enter the twenty-first century. Our specialty cannot afford to be preoccupied with past accomplishments, reacting only to daily events rather than creating a chosen future. AORN has taken a major step by establishing the Project 2000 teams to analyze the present and plan for the future. Members must be willing to abandon the status quo. Looking beyond current practice to the expanding edges of perioperative nursing offers new opportunities. Where will we be in 2010? The future is ours to choose.

Evolution of the Perioperative Clinical Nurse Specialist Role

“…How will we know which road to take? As Susan Kleinbeck, RN, PhD, CNOR, a nursing author, said, “the future does not just happen.” 26 Who will lead us? The perioperative CNS will be this leader.…”

Perioperative Nurse Practitioners

“…In surgical settings, there has been a marked swing from inpatient to outpatient procedures. In 1992, 60% of all surgical procedures were performed on an outpatient basis, and this figure is projected to increase to 75% by the year 2010 1 …”