Nationwide, hospitals are struggling to staff their operating rooms with nurses and surgical technologists.

UConn Health is implementing strategies to recruit, train and retain personnel to work within the 12-room, state-of-the-art Operating Room at UConn John Dempsey Hospital where some of the most technically advanced surgical procedures are performed.

Periop 101 is a comprehensive training program for nurses with no prior OR experience. The program is comprised of traditional classroom instruction, hands-on simulation experience, preceptor-based clinical training and a substantial online course. Length of orientation for a novice nurse is a minimum of 6 months.

The training program’s first cohort of nurses have become OR nurses at UConn Health.

“We are excited to see our first cohort begin to develop skills and grow into the role of an OR nurse,” says Janice Hahn, MSN, RN, CNOR, CST, associate director of Education for Perioperative Services at UConn Health.

Hahn adds: “The OR team at UConn Health; preceptors, staff, physicians and nurse leaders are dedicated to building a stronger, more stable OR workforce.”

This fall the first cohort of the new Periop 101 operating room nurse training program kicked-off at UConn Health.

The cohort of nurses were (pictured in group photo bottom row left to right) Stephanie Remo, Caitlin Lawless, Shanice Stribling, Allison Dale, and Oliwia Siurnicka. They are with (top row left to right) Larissa Morgenthau, director of Professional Practice and Clinical Excellence, Janice Hahn, associate director  of Education Perioperative Services, Karen Curley, director of Perioperative and Procedural Areas, Jim Behme, Clinical Simulation Center Coordinator, and Alex Hoeger, Academic Computing Specialist.

Nurses who are interested in learning more about a career in the OR may contact jhahn@uchc.edu.