Engaging student nurses to prime the OR nurse pump: Part 1

Concerns about the pipeline of OR nurses existed long before COVID-19, but the pandemic has heightened these concerns. Many nurses plan to exit the profession in the next few years (sidebar, Workforce outlook). Unfortunately, the pipeline of replacement nurses is nearly dry as student experiences in the OR have been eliminated or reduced to a day of observation with limited hands-on participation. Fortunately, this situation is changing as schools, health systems, and associations create programs that give students a robust perioperative experience.