Perioperative Fellowship: Attract & Retain Experienced Nurses to the Operating Room

Course overview

This continuing nursing education activity examines the implementation of structured perioperative nursing fellowship programs as a workforce strategy to attract, transition, and retain experienced nurses entering the operating room environment. The course addresses current perioperative workforce shortages, transition-to-practice gaps, onboarding challenges, and evidence-based educational strategies that support successful perioperative integration. Participants will explore fellowship program design, curriculum structure, simulation-based learning, competency validation, preceptorship models, certification pathways, and organizational strategies that improve readiness, retention, and long-term perioperative workforce sustainability. The educational activity also examines innovative teaching methods, including virtual reality integration, clinical specialty rotations, and competency-based progression frameworks. This course supports perioperative nursing workforce development and promotes evidence-based educational strategies that strengthen patient safety, clinical competence, and organizational retention outcomes.